Wednesday afternoon Skip Damiani was doing something he’s done more times that he can remember. No doubt he’ll remember this one for a long time.
Damiani is a constable. One of the things he does is serve eviction notices. It’s not a fun job, as you can imagine. Nobody likes to be told they’re being booted out of their home.
That’s what Damiani was doing Wednesday, along with the manager of the Parkview Court apartments in Yeadon. He was there to tell a tennant in a third-floor unit to gather his things and vacate the premises.
Tamarr Minor, 21, apparently had other ideas. Police say he went to a sofa in the apartment, reached between the cushions, pulled out a handgun and started blasting.
He shot Damiani in the head and apartment manager Ted Hicks in the chest, according to the affidavit issued for his arrest. Police believe he likely would have shot a third person at the scene except the gun jammed.
Our Upper Darby correspondent, Linda Reilly, caught up with Damiani in his hospital room. You can read her interview with Damiani here.
You have to like Damiani. He snapped off a great line when asked how he was doing.
“I’m talking to you, aren’t I,” he quipped. “I’m good.”
Damiani goes on to offer a fairly harrowing account of what happened inside that apartment.
He also gave us something else. He once again offered proof of something that law enforcement personnel know all too well.
They never know what’s going to happen when they leave the house every day. They hope they return home safe and sound. The bottom line is they just don’t know.
It’s part of the job. One that too often goes unsaid. One most of us probably don’t appreciate nearly enough.
Get well soon, Skip.
Damiani is a constable. One of the things he does is serve eviction notices. It’s not a fun job, as you can imagine. Nobody likes to be told they’re being booted out of their home.
That’s what Damiani was doing Wednesday, along with the manager of the Parkview Court apartments in Yeadon. He was there to tell a tennant in a third-floor unit to gather his things and vacate the premises.
Tamarr Minor, 21, apparently had other ideas. Police say he went to a sofa in the apartment, reached between the cushions, pulled out a handgun and started blasting.
He shot Damiani in the head and apartment manager Ted Hicks in the chest, according to the affidavit issued for his arrest. Police believe he likely would have shot a third person at the scene except the gun jammed.
Our Upper Darby correspondent, Linda Reilly, caught up with Damiani in his hospital room. You can read her interview with Damiani here.
You have to like Damiani. He snapped off a great line when asked how he was doing.
“I’m talking to you, aren’t I,” he quipped. “I’m good.”
Damiani goes on to offer a fairly harrowing account of what happened inside that apartment.
He also gave us something else. He once again offered proof of something that law enforcement personnel know all too well.
They never know what’s going to happen when they leave the house every day. They hope they return home safe and sound. The bottom line is they just don’t know.
It’s part of the job. One that too often goes unsaid. One most of us probably don’t appreciate nearly enough.
Get well soon, Skip.
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