Ex-lieutenant, facing hearing, found dead at home

A former Philadelphia police lieutenant who was facing a hearing this month on charges of aggravated assault on police was found dead in his home this week, according to a Police Department spokeswoman.

George Holcombe, 42, had served 23 years on the force. A spokesman for the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office said a cause and time of death has not been determined.

Holcombe, who was fired in November, was awaiting a preliminary hearing March 20 on multiple charges resulting from a domestic situation in November involving an ex-girlfriend. Holcombe was arrested after threatening to kill his former girlfriend during an argument in front of one of his sons. After police arrived, Holcombe allegedly assaulted them.

He was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer as well as simple assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, terroristic threats, harassment, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Holcombe is survived by two sons.

Most charges were dropped against Holcombe during a preliminary hearing in January, but they were refiled days later by the District Attorney's Office.

In the 1990s, Holcombe shot and killed a 21-year-old West Philadelphia man in a car chase. A wrongful-death lawsuit was filed against the city after disparities emerged surrounding the shooting. Police and a grand jury determined the shooting had been accidental, but other officers and eyewitness offered conflicting details. The city agreed to settle for $750,000.