By Allison Steele
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
To his Port Richmond community, William Panas, Jr. was a larger-than-life personality, a neighborhood fixture whose presence was as reassuring as it was familiar.
It seemed like Panas, 21, was always around - having a catch with local kids at the playground, testing out his new barber's license by giving a free haircut, or ordering his usual strawberry-vanilla milkshake at the ice cream shop.
Today, as at least 200 of Panas's friends and family members packed a Port Richmond church for Panas's funeral, many said the neighborhood felt empty without him.
By WENDY RUDERMAN
Philadelphia Daily News
rudermw@phillynews.com 215-854-2860
The Port Richmond home of Police Officer Frank Tepper sat vacant yesterday. The lace curtains were drawn tight, and a sleeve of plastic-wrapped circulars advertising Black Friday "door busters" sat untouched on the front stoop.
Neighbors said the officer, whom many of them have come to demonize, fled his home under the cover of darkness and with police escort about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. The off-duty cop fatally shot William "Billy" Panas Jr., 21, during a Saturday night brawl outside Tepper's home. Panas was unarmed. The incident involved some of Tepper's family members, police confirmed.
Mourners Keep Gathering Outside Accused Cop's Home
PHILADELPHIA - Tensions are running very high in the neighborhood where an off-duty Philadelphia police officer shot and killed a 21-year-old man over the weekend.
Family and friends of Bill Panas stood outside Officer Frank Tepper's home again on Monday night in Port Richmond demanding justice for the victim.
Tepper shot and killed Panas while trying to break up a fight outside a party over the weekend.
No one has been charged in Saturday's fight or shooting.
"I will not rest until you'll be punished for murdering in cold blood my only son," the father, William Panas Sr., screamed toward Tepper's home from across Elkhart Street.
Karen Panas sobbed heavily as she spoke about the loss of her son near a street-side memorial at the shooting scene.
Mourners visited the memorial all day Monday.
Officers have been stationed outside Tepper's home for the time being, and there is some very real concern about potential retaliation.
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