Watch CBS News

Trial begins for former Philadelphia officer Eric Ruch Jr. accused of fatally shooting unarmed Black man

Trial begins for former Philadelphia officer Eric Ruch Jr. accused of fatally shooting unarmed Black
Trial begins for former Philadelphia officer Eric Ruch Jr. accused of fatally shooting unarmed Black 02:14

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Trial began Tuesday for former Philadelphia Police officer Eric Ruch Jr. The trial comes nearly two years after he was charged with murder for shooting an unarmed Black man after a car chase.

The district attorney's office says this is the first time in the city's history that an on-duty police officer has stood trial for murder.

Ruch is facing third-degree murder charges for shooting 25-year-old Dennis Plowden in December 2017 in East Germantown.  

On Tuesday, the first witness for the prosecution was Plowden's widow. She testified about the last time she saw her husband alive.

"It can't bring me closure because I can't get my husband back. My son was robbed of a life to know his father. At 6 months old, he doesn't have a memory of his dad," widow Tania Bond said.

She says justice will not be served unless Ruch is held accountable. 

"Justice will look like Eric Ruch owning up to what he did, apologizing and taking accountability for his actions. That's what justice will look like for me and as of now, we haven't seen that. Still waiting," Bond said.  

According to court documents, Ruch was on patrol that night and investigating a homicide from earlier that December. The car Plowden was driving fit the description of a car in that investigation.

Ruch pursued Plowden for two minutes. When the chase ended following a crash, and reportedly after several commands, Ruch was the only officer to shoot Plowden. That bullet went through Plowden's hand and into his head.

In their opening statement prosecutors, lead by Vincent Corrigan, said Ruch was on scene for less than six seconds before shooting Plowden. Plowden was unarmed and it's not clear if he was a suspect in the previous homicide.

David Mishak, Ruch's defense attorney, says Ruch had to make a split-second decision and Plowden wasn't obeying orders to put his hands up -- his right hand was behind his back. Prosecutors say Plowden was shot with his left hand over his head.

Ruch was dismissed from the department in 2018. His attorneys are arguing that the shooting was justified.   

The judge says the trial could last anywhere from seven to 10 days. 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.