The community was a huge help in tracking down the man police say killed a father who was trying to defend his son during a playground fight last Sunday.
Good tips and good detective work led to Amir Jamal's arrest on Friday. SWAT and homicide officers found him at a home on West Norris Street. Jamal, 18, is accused of killing Nyeme Taylor, who was defending his son from a group of neighborhood guys, including Jamal, who attacked the teen, according to police.
"It's really scary. It should have been just a simple fist fight, if there is such a thing," said Philadelphia Police Capt. James Clark. "but because of the recklessness and the gun, we have a case to work."
Nyeme's 15-year-old son was at the Mander Playground at 33rd and Diamond Streets around 9 p.m. on Sunday when he was jumped and assaulted. The teen went home to get his dad who came back to the park with his son and confronted the gang of four or five guys.
"The father then approached the males and said, 'My son will fight each one of you, one at a time,'" said Capt. Clark. The teen started fighting one of the attackers and was "getting the better of him" when the other guys jumped into the fight, Clark said.
"As the father was then taking the kids off of his son, the shooter pulled out a gun and just fired into the crowd, striking and killing his father right in front of him [the son]," Clark said.
Taylor was shot in the head. His teenage daughter was shot in the leg and two other girls, ages 10 and six, were shot in the face. They're all in stable condition.
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Jamal is charged with one count of murder and four counts of attempted murder.
