Philadelphia Black Man Approached a Cop’s Broken-Down Car to Help Him, Then the Unthinkable Happened

The family of a Philadelphia Black man is suing a detective, other officers and the City of Philadelphia after they claim he was unjustifiably shot dead while offering roadside assistance.

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It was Oct. 3, 2024, when Robert Jones, a 54-year-old Black man, pulled his 2019 Kia behind what looked like a stalled car in the turn lane of Willits Road near Holme Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia, local station Fox 29 reported. Police say Jones, who was wearing a bright, reflective vest and is trained to provide roadside assistance, exited his vehicle and approached the stopped car that was driven by off-duty detective Christopher Sweeney around 11:30 p.m.

The detective, seated in his personal car’s driver’s seat, discharged his own firearm multiple times, striking Jones through the window. Jones died. 

Now, Robert Jones’ family is suing Sweeney, 43, and the City of Philadelphia. The suit, per Fox 29, claims Jones was unarmed and that Sweeney flashed a badge, identified himself as a cop, then shot Jones before he had the chance to respond. The lawsuit is also suing other officers, who has not yet been publicly named, alleging they attempted to protect Sweeney from prosecution following the shooting. 

“You have two choices that are going to eat you up. You can think about how he was killed or you can think about how he was lived,” Michael Jones, Robert Jones’ brother, said, CBS News reported. “Right now, my job is to think about how he was murdered because I got to fight this until we get justice.”

The outlet said Sweeney remained on administrative duty as the department investigated. Prior to the shooting, NBC 10 reported that Sweeney was a 43-year-old detective assigned to the city’s Homicide Unit and a 14-year veteran of the force.

Shaka Johnson, the Jones’ family lawyer, said they “need to have their questions answered. That is part of the healing process.” She added: “The Philadelphia Police Department nor the district attorney’s office has aided this family in healing.”