In 1966 William Barnes shot and paralyzed a Philadelphia cop. He served 20 years for the crime and has led a law-abiding life since his release from prison. But...last month, 41 years after the shooting, Walter Barclay, Jr. died of a urinary tract infection the district attorney says is related to the 1966 shooting.
Barnes has now been charged with murder and is being held in a Philadelphia jail until his first court appearance...in December .
It'll be a pretty tall order for the D.A. to link that urinary tract infection to a 41 year old gun shot. Then again, don't under-estimate the lengths a major urban police department will go to in order to avenge the death of one of their own.
But how much do you want to bet that had Mr. Barclay not been a cop, Mr. Barnes would never have been recharged or arrested.
Food for thought.
