The City of Philadelphia is deciding whether to pay for the funeral expenses of slain Police Officer Moses Walker Jr., who was buried with full honors Monday.
John McNesby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, said there should not even be a question.
Walker, 40, was fatally shot Aug. 18 in an apparent robbery attempt shortly after finishing his shift in the 22d District in North Philadelphia. When he was found, lying face down, his gun had been drawn.
"The minute he doesn't hand over his money and his gun, he was on duty," McNesby said.
Mark McDonald, Mayor Nutter's press secretary, said it wasn't as simple as that.
"We have a process of review, then a decision gets made considering all the facts of the situation and the law," McDonald said.
Responded McNesby: "This shouldn't be a process. You should be honored to do it. The man was protecting the city."
Walker was the fourth Philadelphia officer this year to be killed while not on the job.
The city conducted similar reviews and decided to contribute to the funeral costs of one officer, Brian Lorenzo, who was killed July 8 by an alleged drunken driver while riding home from work on his patrol motorcycle.
Contact Robert Moran at 215-854-5983 or bmoran@phillynews.com, or follow @RobertMoran215 on Twitter.
