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Rasheed Farrelle, 36 -- who tried running over an officer attempting to take him into custody -- has been charged with murder and related weapons offenses in the 2012 Christmas Day shooting of 24-year-old Paul Brown, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Norristown Police Chief Mark Talbot said.
Officers found Brown in the driver’s seat of a 1997 Buick Riviera near Wayne Avenue suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at approximately 4:40 p.m., on Dec. 25, 2012, Steele and Talbot said.
Brown was rushed to Mercy Suburban General Hospital where he was pronounced dead nearly an hour later, authorities said.
The autopsy report determined the cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds and the manner of death as a homicide, authorities said.
An investigation ensued and found that 13 text messages and nine phone calls were exchanged between Brown and Farrelle on the date of the murder, Steele and Talbot said.
The last outgoing call from Brown’s phone to Farrelle’s phone was at 4:35 p.m., minutes before the shooting, authorities said.
Witnesses told police that Farrelle was in the area at the time of the homicide and said he was wearing a distinctive coat, similar to one worn by a man seen in surveillance video recovered near the scene after the murder, Steele and Talbot said.
After a warrant was issued for Farrelle's arrest on March 18, 2021, police staked out a home where they believed he was staying on Thursday, authorities said.
Officers spotted Farrelle getting into a vehicle and ordered him to get out of the car -- but Farrelle through the car in reverse, colliding with a parked car, and then drove directly at a detective, Steele and Talbot said.
A police pursuit ensued to which Farrelle sped down New Hope Street and drove onto the sidewalk and into a yard, authorities said.
Farrelle later collided with a parked pickup truck and then struck a telephone pole, which permanently stopped his car in a yard, authorities said.
Farrelle was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, conspiracy, and person not to possess a firearm, aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person related to his assault on the county detective in connection with Brown's death.
He was arraigned Thursday by video before Magisterial District Judge Scott Palladino.
There is no bail available for first-degree murder, and the Farrelle was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
Farrelle was given $50,000 cash bail on the complaint relating to the assault on the county detective.
Farrelle's preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 21 before Magisterial District Judge Gregory Scott.
The case will be prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Kelly Lloyd and Assistant District Attorney William Highland.
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