POSTED: 6:23 am EDT June 21, 2005
PHILADELPHIA -- Violence between biotech protesters and police in Center City Philadelphia has turned tragic. A Philadelphia police officer has died after a scuffle in Center City on Tuesday.
The officer, Paris Williams, 52, may have died from a heart attack but homicide is also investigating the case. He is a 19-year veteran.
Williams collapsed near the end of a brawl between protesters and police that lasted for several minutes near 12th and Arch Streets. Some protesters were seen being taken away in handcuffs by police after the incident. The fallen officer was taken away in an ambulance.
Police department spokesman Jim Pauley said Williams was pronounced dead at Hahnemann University Hospital shortly after 1 p.m.
The street in front of the convention center is now closed to traffic. Earlier, protesters chanted and pounded on drums, and blocked the entrance to the convention center.
Several hundred protesters had started marching to the Convention Center from 16th and Arch Streets before 12 p.m.
Some groups associated with a wave of violent attacks on biotechnology companies said in advance they planned demonstrations outside the Biotech convention center Tuesday.
Also, skateboarders have started to descend on Love Park in an unrelated activity.
The skateboarders are expected for a one-day event and should be on the streets en masse this afternoon.
Copyright 2005 by NBC10.com The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This materi