2016 NJ State PBA Mini Convention
‘Never A Doubt’
Speaking to PBA brothers and sisters provides confirmation for Gary Spath
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
The Thin Blue Line that sustained Gary Spath when his life was on the line
26 years ago has turned gray. And not just around the temples. For those that
still have hair, that is.
Spath came to the Mini Convention to tell his story about surviving the
attacks and the trials following his fatal shooting of a 16-year-old youth in
Teaneck, where he served as a law enforcement officer and Local 215 member
for 10 years. He added to the never-before-told story that first appeared in the
February issue of NJ Cops Magazine and then some.
Members of Local 215 were right up front in the audience for Spath’s speech.
More than 25 of them came wearing replicas of the gray “Never A Doubt”
T-shirts that were first made when Spath was put on trial for shooting Phillip
Pannell following a chase through a Teaneck schoolyard which culminated with
Pannell pointing his gun and firing at Spath.
Spath’s partner on the fateful day, Wayne Blanco, was there among the 25
who came. So was Steve Librie, the Local 215 President at the time who made
the original shirts. And so was Andy Haase, the current Local 215 State Delegate
and PBA Second Vice-President who was Spath’s guiding light for this visit to
the Mini. And they were all wearing the shirts.
During nearly an hour of cathartic and assertive exhorting, Spath confirmed
that there was never a doubt. Not then. Not now. And not just with regard to the
shooting but with the support of his PBA brothers and sisters.
“Every Teaneck guy who is here today, stand up for a second,” Spath asked
as his presentation flourished. “These guys are rock-solid blue bloods. You are
all amazing. Getting ready to come down here, I was shaking like a dog spitting
peach pits. Then, I got a call from an old lieutenant, Bob “Moose” Finn, who
said, ‘You’re going to be with your sisters and brothers. It’s the greatest fraternity in the world.’ He hit the nail right on the head.”
Spath expounded with insight and emotion that added to the inspiration and
bravery he conveyed in these pages two months ago. He did so not because the
NBC cameras were there, but because his sisters and brothers were. And some
of the previously unknown particulars were nothing short of amazing…
He had just requested a move back to patrol before the incident. He wanted
the normalcy of a regular shift, the four-to-midnight, and he wanted more opportunitie