Radical Islam a perfect fit for the jailhouse set

Jailhouse Islam BehindCop Killing?
Sources: Suspect Said 'Can't BelieveI Shot A Cop'
PHILADELPHIA - The fact that Rasheed Scrugs allegedly announced he was going to kill a cop and then shot Philadelphia Police Officer John Pawlowski with a gun hidden inside his coat pocket has detectives digging deeper on Scrugs.
They're still gathering evidence and trying to unravel why Friday night's senseless murder happened, Fox 29's Dave Schratwieser reported.
"Pawlowski didn't stand a chance," Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said Monday, as Philadelphia continued to reel over the killing.
A key witness went public Monday with the chilling words he heard the gunman say before the shooting.
"If you call the cop, I'll kill you and kill the cop," said Manuel Dias, who works in a newsstand at Broad Street and Olney Avenue, repeating what he told detectives.
Police believe Scrugs planned to shoot officers when they answered a 911 call about a fight on the highway at Broad and Olney at 8:20 p.m.
"This individual was very violent and was bent on killing someone," Ramsey said.
Scrugs was shot by Pawlowski's partner and another officer. He's now awake and talking, but he refused to be interviewed by homicide detectives.
Sources say Scrugs told a hospital staffer he was high on drugs at the time of the shooting and allegedly said, "I can't believe I shot a cop."
"Well, he's a cold blooded killer is what he is, and he knew exactly what it is he wanted to do," Ramsey said.
Ramsey told Fox 29 News that police are now trying to determine if Scrugs -- who also goes by the alias Rasheed Abdulghaffer -- may have converted to a radical form of "jailhouse Islam" during his years in prison.
Ironically, Ramsey said he was briefed by FBI agents on Friday about this radical form of Islam. That was just hours before Pawlowski was shot.
Ramsey said there's a growing concern among law enforcement.
"This is a radical form where certainly committing crime and killing police officers and so forth is part of it," Ramsey said.
Police experts and the FBI are now researching whether Scrugs and Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski' accused killers -- Howard Cain and Levon Warner, who are accused of wearing Muslim clothing during that murder -- were schooled in jailhouse Islam.
"Since Steve Liczbinski got killed, this issue has really been something that has struck home here in Philadelphia," Ramsey said.
Police sources said the .357 Magnum that Scrugs allegedly used was from out of state. Federal ATF agents are tracking the gun's owner down. Ramsey said whoever sold or gave the gun to Scrugs may be prosecuted.
Police said Scrugs had 19 packets of crack and 19 extra bullets in his pockets at the time.
Dias said he was watching Friday night when Scrugs carried through on his violent threat.
"As soon as the cop asked him to take his hand out of his pocket to give him something else, he just pulled the gun and shot the cop for no specific reason," Dias said. "Some screamed 'Help! Help!' right here, and they tried to put him on the car. … I was afraid to die because this is serious."
Dias hid on the floor of his newsstand, fearing for his own life, as police shot and wounded Scruggs.
Pawlowski's church community is gathering Monday night to hold a "life celebration" at his parish, St. Anselm's in Northeast Philadelphia. The mass begins at 7:30 p.m., and attendees are expected to hear a statement from the fallen officer's family read by his brother.