Sources: Philly officers entered bar; money stolen

FRANKFORD - July 28, 2010 (WPVI) -- On Wednesday night, crime scene officers were carting away two safes from the basement of Pat's Café from which sources say money was allegedly stolen after three officers entered the café.

The case unfolded after 4:00 a.m. Tuesday morning when two officers were responding to a report of a burglar alarm at New Vision Auto Detailing located behind the café. The alarm turned out to be unfounded.

Sources say, at 4:25 a.m., surveillance video shows the two Philadelphia police officers opening the basement doors of Pat's Café, which apparently were unlocked. They then made their way into the establishment which was already closed for the night.

They are then seen in the video for a good 30 to 40 minutes making themselves at home drinking beer in the bar. A third officer can be seen joining them later.

Sources go on to say that one of the officers is then seen rifling through the café's two safes and stashing cash in his pants. More than $800 was allegedly taken before the officers left the scene.

Pat's Café has a long history as a popular neighborhood bar and tragically, the place where Officer Gary Skerski was gunned down and murdered after responding to a robbery in progress on May 8, 2006. They still have a sign outside the bar that reads: "Farewell to our hero, Officer Skerski."

The three officers have been placed on desk duty pending the outcome of the investigation. Only one of them is under investigation for taking money from Pat's Café. Officials say it is likely they will have some kind of response Thursday.

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philadelphia, pennsylvania, police, theft, crime

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