Shortly after US Airways Flight 742 arrived at Philadelphia International Airport around 4:40 p.m., Lewis exited the plane on the tarmac, and a convoy of police vehicles took him to headquarters, where other officers, reporters and several women who screamed their support of the suspect waited.
Lewis, 21, was expected to be arraigned before being taken to the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility on State Road, said police spokesman Sgt. Ray Evers.
At a news conference at the Roundhouse, District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham said that no decision had been made on seeking the death penalty but added that the crime qualified as a capital case.
She also thanked the public for its help in solving the case and encouraged continued cooperation to solve other crimes.
"This city would find the peace that it hasn't known in years" if that were to happen, Abraham said. "And that is something that I think would be an appropriate way to remember Officer Cassidy."
Lewis is accused of gunning down Cassidy, 54, a married father of three, during a botched robbery of a Dunkin' Donuts on Broad Street in West Oak Lane. The veteran officer died the next day.
Several passengers on Flight 742 said Lewis sat quietly at the back of coach class and did not cause any commotion during the long plane ride. Some said they did not even realize Lewis was on board until the plane touched down.
Drew Morgan of Princeton, who went to Miami on a business trip, said he felt "completely safe" but added that it "makes you ponder" why Lewis was sent on a commercial flight.
Derrick Crumpton, 47, of Miami, said he did not think Lewis should have been transported on the flight. "I think things should have been done differently," Crumpton said. "I don't care if they had to charter a plane."
The path back home for Lewis had been cleared when he waived extradition and Philadelphia detectives finished their investigation on Wednesday.
Lewis, who uses the aliases Jordan Lewis and Lewis Jordan, took a bus to Miami last Saturday and arrived Sunday night. He was arrested by Miami police officers at a homeless shelter early Tuesday morning after a staffer recognized his face from television news and called 911.
Later that day, Lewis told reporters that he had confessed to Philadelphia police officers. He also apologized to Cassidy's family, saying: "I never meant anything to happen like this."
Go to for continuing coverage, including Online Extras.
Contact staff writer Ashwin Verghese at 215-854-2601 or averghese@phillynews.com.Inquirer staff writer Barbara Boyer contributed to this article.
