5 charged in court melee after verdict

0 Comments | Philadelphia Daily News, July, 2007 | by JULIE SHAW shawj@phillynews.com 215-854-2592

Five people have been slapped with charges in connection with Thursday's melee outside the Criminal Justice Center, authorities said yesterday.

One of the alleged attackers was a former Temple University police officer who was fired by the school earlier this month.

The fight occurred after defendants Louis Rodriguez, 26, of Kensington, and Shawn Beckham, also 26, of North Philadelphia, were convicted of first-degree murder in the 2001 shooting death of Nicholas Santiago, 21.

Witnesses said that the Rodriguez family and its supporters waited outside the court building and jumped the victim's family when they came out.

Capt. Benjamin Naish, of police public affairs, said yesterday that three...