No Stone Left Unturned In Search For Cop Killer
Police Questioning Several People, No Suspects Yet

POSTED: 8:13 a.m. EDT August 26, 2005
UPDATED: 6:40 p.m. EDT August 26, 2005


Story by nbc10.com

PHILADELPHIA -- The manhunt is on for a cop killer in Philadelphia.


About 2:30 a.m. Friday, off-duty police officer Terrence Flomo was gunned down as he sat in his undercover police car near 20th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue in North Philadelphia.

Flomo, 50, was an undercover narcotics officer. He was a nine-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department.

Police left no stone unturned Friday looking for Flomo's killer, questioning dozens of people and making several arrests. Investigators said that the killer or killers knew their victim was a cop.

"There is not a thug on street that would not have recognized that officer's car as a police vehicle," said Chief Inspector Joseph Fox, of the Philadelphia Police Department.

Police said that Flomo was shot four times -- twice in the arm and twice in the chest. He later died at Temple University Hospital.

Police said that they still don't have a motive.

"He had money on him. There is certainly no indication that it was a robbery," Fox said.

Investigators said that Flomo might have been taken by surprise.

"He certainly didn't fire his weapon. Whether he could get it out of his holster or not, we don't know," Fox said.

Police said that Flomo completed his shift at 10 p.m. Thursday and they still trying to understand why he was still in an undercover car more than four hours later.

"It's not an uncommon thing for an undercover officer to be using an unmarked police vehicle beyond his normal hours. We're still looking into that," Fox said.

NBC 10 News has learned that the unmarked police car was registered to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Police said that they are looking for a woman who they believe was in the area at the time of the shooting. They want to bring her in for questioning.

Philadelphia Mayor John Street and Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson held an early morning press conference in which both vowed to find Flomo's killer.

Flomo leaves behind a wife and four children.