Convicted cop killer was ‘harassed’ by gang before being killed: Lt

On the night of October 16, 2001, Corporal Michael Douglas Beverly was standing in front of his unmarked police car when he was shot.

Officers who arrived on scene found the 11-year veteran Chester Police Department, Pennsylvania lying on his back and shaking. His car keys were still clutched in his hand and his gun was safely in his holster. Multiple bullet holes were seen in his face and chest.

Investigators tried to call out the 36-year-old’s name. He didn’t make it. Beverly left behind a wife of 16 years and their five children.

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Corporal Michael Beverly was shot and killed while on patrol in 2001. (Bright spot content)

“This was a good person,” Chris McMullin, a Philadelphia native and lieutenant with the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office, told Fox News Digital.

“He was dedicated to his work, but he was also a dedicated family man,” McMullin said. “And he was just as committed to the community.”

The murder, which took place in the crime-ridden Chester Gardens area, is explored in Oxygen’s true-crime series, “Philly Homicide.”

It contains new interviews with former and current Philadelphia area detectivesas well as loved ones and those closely connected to cases that occurred in the city known as America’s birthplace.

Chris McMullin, a lieutenant with the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office in Pennsylvania, is the host of Oxygen’s “Philly Homicide.” (Bright spot content)

McMullin, the show’s host, previously worked for several years as a patrol officer with the Philadelphia Police Department and worked his way up to become a detective with the Bensalem Police Department. He described how the men in blue were “relentless” in finding out who killed Beverly.

“That was one of the reasons I wanted to tell this story, as well as the others we explored in the series,” McMullin explains. “I wanted to show how hard these detectives work for justice, to deliver justice on behalf of the victims and their families. These detectives want to protect our society. And in this case, they promised to find out who killed Corporal Beverly.”

The eyes turned to the Boyle Street Boys, a street gang that, according to court documents, used “extremely violent tactics” to control their younger members and “street vendors.” Their goal was to fiercely protect their ‘territory’ for the sale and distribution of cocaine.

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Michael Beverly is survived by his wife and five children. (Bright spot content)

The members saw themselves as a ‘family’ bound together by loyalty. Senior members would discuss whether certain individuals considered a threat should be killed.

“They backed up their threats of violence,” McMullin said. “I hate to compliment them, and I don’t mean it that way, but they were the real deal. There wasn’t just a lot of talking. They continued with threats.”

Yet the researchers were met by a ‘wall of silence’ from the community.

Michael Beverly is seen here with his mother. (Bright spot content)

“Chester is a rough city,” McMullin said. “I’ve had cases where people wouldn’t talk to me because they were afraid of reprisals. You can’t blame them. It’s hard. You have to work to gain the public’s trust. And to Stick to it , you have to keep your word. You can’t blame anyone who is afraid to talk. And in this case it was true a gang that terrorizes an entire city.”

Chris McMullin worked for several years as a police officer in the Philadelphia Police Department. (Bright spot content)

And the murder happened close to home. The series chronicles how Beverly never got over the death of his patrol partner, Connie Hawkins, in 1993. According to The Philadelphia Inquirerhe was active with the Delaware County Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation, a group aimed at honoring fallen officers in the line of duty. He wore a bracelet in memory of Hawkins.

Beverly found solace by immersing himself in activities involving his children. The outlet reported that the U.S. Marine Corps veteran was active in the Rose Tree Soccer League and was an assistant basketball coach.

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A young Chris McMullin is seen here with his father. (Bright spot content)

Detectives later learned that Beverly had attempted to mentor a young man in the community named Maurice Day. But the last number Beverly called before his murder was not Day, but Gloria Adams, who lived a block away from where he was killed. According to reports, Beverly called Adams about ten minutes before he was shot dead.

A visibly shaken Adams told detectives that she had known Beverly for years. She described him as a positive role model for her son Day. She explained how Beverly tried to talk to the 18-year-old, who seemed to be looking for an opportunity to join the Boyle Street Boys. But when they questioned Day, he claimed he had been with his girlfriend the night of the shooting. She confirmed his claim.

Michael Beverly’s case almost came to a standstill. (Bright spot content)

The case seemingly went cold – until October 2002. A woman arrested for drug possession claimed she witnessed Day being shot in Beverly. The prosecutor, who said Day had “executed” Beverly, later argued that Day was motivated to kill because he had been “teased, taunted and ridiculed” by members of the Boyle Street Boys, the Delco times reported.

Michael Beverly tried to mentor Maurice Day. (Bright spot content)

According to the series, Day was frustrated with Beverly’s friendship with his mother, fearing that his credibility on the street would be ruined.

“I don’t want to comment on that; I’ve never spoken to the child,” McMullin said. ‘It was my interpretation of what I know about this case that it was a matter of peer pressure, on top of the fact that he didn’t want to be labeled a rat. But I can’t say with any certainty why he did what he did. he did.”

What is certain, McMullin said, is that police refused to give up the search for Beverly’s killer.

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Corporal Beverly was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served on the Chester Police Department for 11 years. (Bright spot content)

According to the outlet, a gang member later testified that Day admitted to killing Beverly. Day’s cousin, who was not a gang member, also provided crucial testimony.

“He told me he killed the officer — he shot him,” the witness told the jury, as quoted by the outlet.

It was day 20 found guilty of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole. In the episode, Beverly’s sister is heard saying she was pleased with the conviction, while Day received the death penalty.

Maurice Day is currently serving a life sentence. (Pennsylvania Department of Corrections)

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“I think she’s content knowing that he can sit there for the rest of his life and think about what he did,” McMullin said. “Sometimes people think that’s worse than death.”

Today, McMullin hopes Beverly’s legacy will be remembered, as well as that of those who never gave up on finding his killer.

“Justice is not always easy,” McMullin reflected. ‘Solving a case takes a lot of dedication and determination. I want people to see that detectives across the country, but especially in the Philadelphia region, are committed and want to protect the community. I’m trying to show that sometimes there have been some bad cops, yes, but there are many more good ones.”