3 held for trial in shooting that seriously injured cop's leg

The three men accused of shooting off part of a Philadelphia police officer's left leg during a Kensington traffic stop in July were held for trial yesterday on two attempted-murder charges and multiple related felony counts.

Anel Cuenas, 28, the alleged triggerman, and co-defendants Richard Martinez, 32, and Ramon DeJesus, 37, said nothing during their joint preliminary hearing.

Officer Kevin Livewell, now assigned to the District Attorney's Office, testified that on the evening of July 15, he and his partner stopped the defendants' white van after hearing a radio dispatch that it might have been involved in a shooting.

As he approached the van, Livewell said, he ordered DeJesus, the driver, to stay inside. At nearly the same time, he said, he heard someone exiting the passenger side of the van.

Livewell said he looked to see Cuenas squatting down, holding a rifle, and then he heard a shot and felt pain in his lower left leg. "I looked down and saw part of my left leg was missing," said Livewell, who told Municipal Judge Jimmie Moore that he was shot before he could pull his gun.

Livewell took cover behind his car, where he and his partner exchanged gunfire with at least one of the two defendants, he said.

His partner eventually tackled DeJesus and arrested him. Cuenas was arrested four days later, and Martinez was arrested in December.

Under cross-examination, Livewell could not say whether Martinez fired the rifle while running away from the officers. Livewell said he didn't see DeJesus hold or fire a gun.

Police said they found four loaded semiautomatic handguns and five high-powered rifles at the crime scene, on Water Street near Clearfield, and on adjacent blocks on Clearfield and Swanson streets.