PHILADELPHIA (July 1, 2024) — “Today, defendant Richard Kralle was sentenced to 25 1/2 to 51 years for shooting and seriously wounding Philadelphia Police Lieutenant Robert Friel inside a CVS in South Philadelphia on May 29, 2020. The defendant previously pleaded no contest to two counts of Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer (First Degree), Robbery (F1) and VUFA 6106 (F3).
“Lt. Friel, a 28-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, had just finished his shift for the day. Upon receiving a call about a missing man inside the store, Lt. Friel responded and attempted to subdue Kralle, an armed and suicidal man who had been reported missing by his family for several days. During the struggle, the defendant produced a firearm and opened fire, shooting and seriously wounding Lt. Friel in the leg. The injury required life-saving measures on the scene and emergency surgery later., in addition to four major surgeries following the incident. After wounding Lt. Friel, Kralle then unsuccessfully attempted to steal another officer’s service weapon.
“I commend PPD Lt. Friel and his fellow officers for their bravery and for administering the tourniquet that saved Lt. Friel’s life. I also thank Assistant District Attorney Anthony Voci for prosecuting and achieving a just outcome in this case.”
CONTACT:
Dustin Slaughter, [email protected]
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million residents of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for the prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually. Learn more about the DAO by visiting PhillyDA.org.