Judges: Ex-Philadelphia cop's murder charges dropped, grand jury flawed
A judge threw out murder and other charges Tuesday against a former Philadelphia police officer accused of fatally shooting a Black man in the back as he fled, ruling the instructions given to a grand jury were flawed. Ryan Pownall, 40, had been facing a third-degree murder charge in the 2017 on-duty shooting of 30-year-old David Jones. Court records showed that charge as well as reckless endangering and weapons counts against Pownall were "quashed" Tuesday after a motions hearing before a Common Pleas Judge.