Fallen Philadelphia Police Officer's Sister: He Was My Best Friend
By David Spunt
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The sister of fallen Philadelphia Police Officer Robert Wilson III greeted mourners at a vigil for her brother in West Philadelphia Thursday evening.
Shakira Wilson-Burroughs met with family, friends and even strangers in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood of West Philadelphia. Wilson grew up in Cobbs Creek.
"I lost more than a brother. He was my best friend," Wilson-Burroughs told Eyewitness News.
Wilson, a father of two, died after trying to stop an armed robbery at a GameStop on Thursday, March 5. He was buying a game for his son, when detectives say brothers Carlton Hipps and Ramone Williams came in and tried to rob the store. Wilson was shot several times and later died at a local hospital.
"I'm really so sorry for the family. I give my respect to all of the officers," neighbor Vicki Fink told Eyewitness News.
Authorities released viewing and funeral information Thursday afternoon. The first viewing will be held Friday, March 13, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Francis Funeral Home, located at 5201 Whitby Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19143.
The second viewing will be held Saturday, March 14, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., at the University of Pennsylvania Palestra located at 235 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 14, 10:00 a.m., at the University of Pennsylvania Palestra located at 235 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Police say the Interment will immediately follow at Fernwood Cemetery located at 6501 Baltimore Avenue, Lansdowne, PA 19050.