Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey made that announcement on Thursday afternoon.
Authorities say Officer Frank Tepper shot and killed 21-year-old Bill Panas on November 21st.
This means the official investigation is now out of the hands of the police department. Instead of being interviewed by detectives, witnesses will now tell their stories under oath in front of a grand jury.
That's welcome news for the victim's family.
"This is great. The next thing I want to hear is that he is charged with the murder of my son," said William Panas, Bill Panas' father. He and his wife, Karen, lost their only son when he was gunned down during a scuffle.
Witnesses say the fight spilled out of Tepper's house and that he was drunk when he came out with his gun. The police say Tepper was trying to break up a street brawl and felt threatened.
Panas' parents want Tepper charged with murder and feared the matter would be swept under the rug.
"We've been trying so hard. It seems to me the police aren't doing what they've got to do," said William Panas.
"The pain I'm in, it's hard. But knowing that it's going to a grand jury is going to the right step. It's just terrible," said Karen Panas.
The D.A. and Police Commissioner say it was a joint decision.
They say it does not reflect any concern that the police would not be capable of fairly investigating serious charges against one of their own.
"It's not a lack of confidence in the police. It's the desire to discover what happened, and why," said Abraham.
Police Commissioner Ramsey says it's a move to assure public confidence.
"We're trying to get at the truth, and it's a little more complicated than other investigations. But, I agree with this move by the D.A. It's very important from a public confidence standpoint," said Ramsey.
The Panas family says the move to a grand jury has given them hope that they'll get what their son deserves.
"We're not here for vengeance, we just want justice for our son so he can rest in peace," said William Panas.
There's no telling how long the grand jury investigation will take.
In the meantime, Sgt. Tepper remains stripped of his weapon and bound to desk duty.
