DeCoatsworth
Former Philadelphia police officer Richard DeCoatsworth, who was once hailed as a hero, is being held on $60 million bail after being charged with rape, sexual assault, terroristic threats and related offenses. Philadelphia Police Department

A friend of Richard DeCoatsworth, a former heroic Philadelphia police officer charged with multiple counts of rape, allegedly went to one of the victim’s homes and threatened to kill the woman, NBC Philadelphia reports.

Manuel Maldanado, the friend in question, was charged Tuesday after he allegedly intimidated one of the rape victims. Maldanado reportedly went to the 25-year-old woman’s home, knocked on the door, pointed a gun at the woman and said he would kill her if she testified.

DeCoatsworth was charged with rape, sexual assault, terroristic threats and related offenses on May 18. The 27-year-old allegedly pulled a gun on two women, forced them to take drugs and perform oral sex on him. He also faces charges for separate sexual assault incidents, including one with his live-in girlfriend on May 9. DeCoatsworth is being held on $60 million bail for 32 crimes -- one of the highest bails set in Philadelphia history.

DeCoatsworth was hailed as a hero in 2007 after he subdued an attacker who shot him in the face. At the time, DeCoatsworth was a rookie officer who followed a car he deemed suspicious. After the passengers left the vehicle, he followed them and was shot in the face. Despite losing eyesight, he continued to chase his attackers.

“Bleeding from the face, DeCoatsworth chased the perpetrator on foot for nearly two blocks. The officer returned fire and put out flash information on the subject during the pursuit, before he finally collapsed," the White House said in statement praising his heroic act.

In 2009, DeCoatsworth was invited by Vice President Joe Biden to attend the president’s televised address to Congress, where he sat next to the first lady, the Associated Press reported. DeCoatsworth left the force in December 2011 on disability after accumulating a number of Internal Affairs complaints. After his recent arrest, some in the Philadelphia Police Department said DeCoatsworth has been troubled for some time. "I hate to say it, but I did see something like this coming," an officer, who wished to remain nameless, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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