U. alum IDs shooting suspect

and Andrew Ribner James McCormack, the 1998 College graduate who was shot during a failed carjacking near campus in November 1997, maintained during trial testimony yesterday that it was Keith Schofield who shot him on the 4200 block of Pine Street -- despite the defense's claims that medication may have impaired the victim's ability to positively identify his assailant. Public defender Joseph Levin, who is representing Schofield, contends that a man matching Schofield's description, detained and released by police on the night of the incident, may be the real shooter. Yesterday, Levin presented medical records showing that McCormack was treated with painkillers, including morphine, immediately after the shooting. McCormack, who was shot in the abdomen, strongly denied Levin's allegations. "I was more alert in the ambulance than any other time in my life. I was 100 percent coherent," he testified. Schofield, 34, of West Philadelphia, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, attempted robbery of a motor vehicle and other related charges. It is not clear why the carjacking charge was changed to attempted robbery of a motor vehicle. The prosecution is expected to conclude its case today and the trial could go to the jury on Monday. In the first day of actual testimony, Assistant District Attorney Dino Privitera used McCormack's identification of Schofield as the main piece of evidence against him. Scott Nowetner of the University Police testified that police brought another man in the vicinity of the crime scene to McCormack before the victim was taken to the hospital. "We surveyed the area. We found a person 2 1/2 blocks away from the incident who completely matched the general description" given by the victim, Nowetner testified. McCormack said he studied the man for a few seconds but realized that "it wasn't him." Police officers released the man immediately without checking him for blood or gunpowder burns. They failed to obtain his name or address. In addition, Philadelphia Police Detective Thomas Zielinski testified that McCormack was "90 percent sure" Schofield was the assailant when the victim was presented in his hospital room with a photo spread of eight men -- one of whom was Schofield -- fitting his description of the suspect. "I chose the person who shot me. I explained to [the detectives] that I wouldn't positively identify until a line-up." McCormack testified. "I didn't want them to go out and arrest someone unless I was positive." Philadelphia Police Det. Michael Sharkey was the last to take the witness stand yesterday. Sharkey noted Schofield's green army jacket and yellow eyes, matching McCormack's description of the assailant, when Sharkey spoke to Schofield regarding information for an unrelated case. "I decided to suggest to [another Philadelphia Police detective] that [Schofield] might be a good suspect based on his description and other evidence," Sharkey testified. Levin and Privitera have declined to comment until the case is finished.

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