Szczerba, from Wilmington, was 44 years old when he was brutally stabbed to death in the line of duty on September 16, 2011. He left behind his wife of 19 years, Kathy Szczerba.
After completing his training and graduating from the New Castle County Police Academy on January 13, 1995, he was assigned to the patrol division.
Joe attended Corpus Christi grade school in Elsmere, DE before attending Salesianum High School in Wilmington, DE, where he played football and graduated in 1985. In his senior year, he was named to the All-State second team.SALASKY,WHO WAS HIGH ON THE DESIGNER DRUG KNOWN AS “BATH SALTS,” LATER CLAIMED HE STABBED SZCZERBA BECAUSE HE THOUGHT SZCZERBA WAS GROWING FANGS.
On the night of Sept. 16, 2011, Szczerba, 44, responded to reports of a person breaking into cars in the Penn Acres neighborhood and encountered Salasky. Salasky then fled from Szczerba, who got out of his patrol car to give chase.
When Szczerba caught Salasky, Salasky stabbed Szczerba repeatedly with a knife he had stolen earlier from a vehicle, wounding Szczerba in the neck. He later died from his injuries, after Salasky was in custody.
Salasky, who was high on the designer drug known as “bath salts,” later claimed he stabbed Szczerba because he thought Szczerba was growing fangs.
In September, the 34-year-old Salasky pleaded guilty but mentally ill to murder and more than a dozen other charges against him in a deal that spared his life but ensured he would never go free. Salasky was sentenced to two life terms in 2014.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, Salasky, filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea. In response to his filing, a Delaware court commissioner recommended that a judge toss the appeal of Salasky, who pled guilty but mentally ill. In a report issued, the commissioner said, “David Salasky’s appeal and motion to withdraw his guilty plea should be denied.”
Lieutenant Szczerba was posthumously promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and awarded the department’s Medal of Honor.
