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On Trial For Helping Off-duty Cop Under Attack, Officer Passed Service Revolver To Defendant
by Dave Racher, Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: June 11, 1994
Nathaniel Thomas saw the off-duty cop being beaten by two teen-agers and ran over to help at the South Philadelphia streetcorner last year, the defense lawyer said.
As Officer Darien McBride was on the ground after being shot in the foot by an unknown gunman at 18th and Tasker, he shoved his service revolver to Thomas, who then shot and wounded the two teens.
Yesterday, a jury acquitted Thomas, a 30-year-old financial analyst, of 18th Street near Washington Avenue, of aggravated assault and weapons charges.
"My client should be in the Mayor's Reception Room receiving an award for heroism as opposed to a courtroom," said attorney Fortunato N. Perri Jr. "He was a hero."
Perri called McBride as a defense witness after the two victims -
Dwight Grant and Calvin Saunders, both 19 - testified that the officer had harassed them before handing his gun to Thomas and shouting, "Bust them!" before the shooting.
McBride denied that story. He said he had arrested Grant and Saunders on
drug charges a few weeks before the Feb. 27, 1993, shooting, and they had threatened to retaliate.
Another cop testified that he had heard Saunders make the earlier threat.
"We know where you hang out and we'll get you for harassing us," Saunders had allegedly said, according to the witness.
The district attorney's office later dropped the drug charges against Grant and Saunders.
Originally, Thomas also was charged with wounding McBride. But the DA's office withdrew that charge.
"My client was justified in what he did," Perri said. "He was trying to save the life of a police officer who was in trouble. He knew McBride was an officer."