Man admits killing police officer

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- As his trial was about to begin, a Philadelphia man pleaded guilty Thursday to killing a police officer who interrupted a burglary at a Dunkin' Donuts.

John "Jordan" Lewis, 23, admitted the crime and six armed robberies without a plea agreement, so he could still face the death penalty, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The trial immediately moved to the penalty phase. in which the jury will decide if he should be executed for shooting Officer Chuck Cassidy on Oct. 31, 2007.

Cassidy, 54, who had been a police officer for 25 years, was checking on the Dunkin' Donuts, part of a routine to protect businesses in a crime-ridden part of the city, when he was shot. He died the next day in a hospital.

Lewis's lawyer, Michael Coard, called the shooting a "panicky reaction" to Cassidy's entering the store. But Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Selber said store security tapes would show there was a conscious decision to shoot.

Police arrested Lewis at a homeless shelter in Miami a few days after Cassidy's death.