Badges - Retired trooper comes to the rescue

From: Charles Rahn <c.t.rahn@xxxxxxxx>
To: Badges 1Badge <badges@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:21:20 -0400

Top of FormBottom of FormCop Shop: Retired trooper comes to the rescue 
Thursday, July 28, 2011By ROSE QUINN & CINDY SCHARR
rquinn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, cscharr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Tom Cloud, a retired Pennsylvania 
State Police sergeant turned private investigator, saw the guy pull a knife on 
a storeowner during a robbery in May. Without hesitation, he pretty much 
body-slammed the guy into the counter, disarming him.

And when the guy fled out of the convenience store at 22nd and Christian 
streets in South Philadelphia, Cloud — who was the well-known head state police 
investigator for the notorious Johnston brothers of Chester County case back in 
the 1970s — ran after him, aiding in the eventual arrest by two Philadelphia 
police officers.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time, and knowing exactly what 
to do.

Cloud, of Bethel, couldn’t say how long it had been since he chased anyone like 
that, but it had to be at least since he retired from the state police 15 years 
ago. Good for Cloud that he keeps in shape.

A bicyclist, he rides 5,000 miles a year. It helped him shed 100 pounds since 
his days with the state police. It also helps him to raise money for a worthy 
cause: Cancer research.

Just mentioning that he participates in Team in Training, which benefits the 
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, was all it took to see how passionate he is 
about the organization and its mission. With all of the advances in treating 
cancer, Cloud said who wouldn’t be happy to know that their efforts are helping 
to save lives of those batting blood cancers now and for generations to come.

Cloud was meeting Joseph Nangle, another retired trooper who now works for him 
at Cloud, Feehery & Richter Professional Investigations, for a cup of coffee at 
the Dunkin’ Donuts in Aston. Friends since the early 1970s, they both got a 
good laugh at the stereotype — you know the one, Nangle said, about cops and 
doughnuts.

A resident of West Grove in Chester County, Nangle grew up in Ridley. Diane, 
Nangle’s wife of 40 years, is the sister of Darby Township police Detective 
Scott Dickson. She is waging a battle against multiple myeloma, a cancer of the 
plasma cells in bone marrow.

Like her husband, she is grateful for Cloud’s efforts, and his eagerness to 
raise cancer awareness.

Nangle, who spent 26 years with the state police, joined Cloud at the firm he 
co-owns with two retired FBI agents, in 2002.

Cloud and Nagle reminisced a bit about their days with the state police, 
serving both at the Media and Avondale barracks.

“I do miss being a trooper,” Cloud said. “I loved it. It was fulfilling.”

Cloud was eager to be back in court last week to testify against the man in the 
store holdup. The defendant was held for court.

“That was the first holdup for that store owner in 24 years,” he noted.

Cloud said what he liked most about the state police job was the ability to see 
a case through to the end. He felt that way about the holdup case, but speaking 
as a civilian.

Conversation then turned to the notorious Johnstons. Talk about a case he was 
glad to see through to the end.

Assigned to the Avondale barracks, Cloud was a part of the team that helped put 
an end to the stranglehold elusive killers David, Norman and Bruce Johnston Sr. 
had on Chester County during the 1970s.

The grisly story was made into a movie starring Sean Penn, Christopher Walken 
and Mary Stuart Masterson called, “At Close Range.” Authorities had said the 
killings were carried out to prevent snitching.

Cloud’s current partner, retired FBI Agent Dave Richter, was also a part of 
that successful team.

Bruce Johnston Sr., who was convicted of killing his 18-year-old stepson and 
five other people to protect a multimillion-dollar burglary ring he ran with 
his brothers, died in prison in August 2002.

Brothers David and Norman Johnston, both convicted in 1980 of four counts of 
murder and sentenced to four consecutive life terms each, lost a motion for a 
new trial in April. URL: 
http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/07/28/news/doc4e30c6ba7ff4e564448002.prt©;
 2011 delcotimes.com, a Journal Register Property
Badges - Retired trooper comes to the rescue

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