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Philadelphia Police Officer Dies During Biotech Protest

HeadlineJun 22, 2005

In Philadelphia Pennsylvania, a 52-year-old police officer died Tuesday after apparently suffering a heart attack while on duty during a protest outside a major biotech gathering. Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said “We’re not blaming anybody for what happened. Right now, the whole circumstances are being investigated.” The officer, Paris Williams, was working undercover at the time and was near a brief scuffle between police and protesters. But according to the Philadelphia Daily News, the city’s police commissioner said he didn’t believe Williams was involved in the scuffle. In response to the death one protest leader said “We were gathered in Philadelphia today to celebrate and protect life, and any loss of life is a tragedy to us all.” Tuesday’s protest outside the biotech conference focused on three main issues: the high cost of health care, biological weapons, and bioengineered foods.

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