This undated photo provided by Tania Bond shows Dennis Plowden Jr. Authorities say Plowden was fatally shot by then-Philadelphia police Officer Eric Ruch, who was charged Friday, Oct. 9, 2020 with first-degree murder in Plowden’s 2017 killing.(Tania Bond/via AP)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 12:45 PM PT – Sunday, October 11, 2020
A former Philadelphia police officer is now facing charges for the 2017 murder of an unarmed Black man. On Friday, 33-year-old Eric Ruch was indicted on first and third-degree murder counts, among other charges, for the murder of 25-year-old Dennis Plowden Jr.
According to reports, police briefly pulled Plowden over, but the 25-year-old took off. He led authorities on a high-speed chase, which ended when he crashed the car.
He reportedly exited the vehicle and fell to the ground, after which Ruch allegedly fired his weapon.
“Within six to eight seconds of arriving on the scene, former Officer Ruch shot Plowden once,” explained Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. “The bullet passed through his raised left hand, wounding three fingers and traveling directly into his head.”
Plowden’s widow, Tania Bond, filed a civil lawsuit last year against the city, Ruch and several other officers. Ruch will likely be held without bond, due to the first-degree murder charge.
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