'Say his name! Robert Jones!': Family of man killed by off-duty Philly detective rallies at City Hall

PHILADELPHIA — Family and friends of an unarmed man who was shot and killed by an off-duty Philadelphia homicide detective last month rallied outside City Hall on Monday, calling on District Attorney Larry Krasner to bring charges against the officer.

Robert Jones, 54, was shot and killed by Detective Christopher Sweeney in Northeast Philadelphia on Oct. 3. Jones was driving behind Sweeney as they slowed at a stoplight around 11:30 p.m. at Willits Road and Holmes Avenue, police said. For reasons that remain unclear, Jones then got out of his vehicle and approached the driver’s side of Sweeney’s car, police said.

Just as Jones approached him, police said, Sweeney pulled out his gun and fired multiple times through his driver’s window, striking Jones throughout the body. Jones was rushed to the hospital but died shortly upon arrival, police said.

Investigators who responded to the scene searched the area for a potential weapon for hours, even diving into the sewers and opening up manholes. Nothing was recovered, law enforcement sources said.

But there is also no video of the shooting, said the sources, making it difficult to know exactly what happened before Sweeney opened fire.

Just moments before Jones’ loved ones gathered to call for answers, Krasner said he could not speak publicly about the investigation, which remains ongoing. He said he might have more information to share in 30 days.

“We take these cases very seriously,” the DA said. “Our record as an administration establishes that, but we are not going to comment on our conclusions until we have conclusions. We’re not going to draw those conclusions without having all the facts.”

Attorney Shaka Johnson, who is representing Jones’ relatives, said Jones’ family, colleagues, and the community “have been spat upon” by Krasner’s lack of response to the shooting.

Still, he said, they will continue to fight for answers.

“Say his name! Robert Jones!” shouted the group, which included members of the building trades union Local 57. Jones had worked at Southwark Metal Manufacturing for more than 20 years, his family said, and was a valued member of the union.

His family said he worked part-time as a roadside assistant, and was wearing a reflective vest when he approached Sweeney’s car and was shot.

“This is why we fight for body-worn cameras, this is why we fight to capture what police officers are doing on film,” Johnson said. “Because when you don’t, you end up in this exact scenario right here.”