Holly MatkinPhiladelphia, PA – A teenager opened fire on four undercover Philadelphia police officers Tuesday night, leading to a deadly officer-involved shooting.
The incident occurred near Barbara Street and 18th Street as four South Task Force officers were conducting surveillance in an unmarked police vehicle at approximately 7:20 p.m. on March 1, WPVI reported.
That’s when they spotted two teens riding by on bicycles.
One of the boys was carrying a handgun, Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) Sergeant Eric Gripp told reporters.
When the officers activated their emergency lights, the teen fired at the unmarked unit at least once, sending a bullet through the car’s back window and into a headrest, WPVI reported.
“This kid fires a shot right into the rear passenger’s side window,” Sgt. Gripp told reporters. “We’re really lucky we don’t have an officer seriously injured and killed right now because the bullet went right through that window and embedded itself into the driver’s side headrest.”
Although the officers were in plainclothes, they were wearing vests, had badges hanging from their necks, and identified themselves as police, Sgt. Gripp noted.
Their vehicle was also “all lit up,” he said.
The officers bailed out of the vehicle and returned fire before chasing the suspects down the 1800-block of Barbara Street, WPVI reported.
The armed teen was shot in the chest during the pursuit, resulting in him dropping his gun and collapsing onto the ground, police said.
The officers scooped him up and rushed him to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, according to Sgt. Gripp.
Police have not confirmed his age, WPVI reported.
The 17-year-old boy the teen was with was uninjured and was taken into custody, WPVI reported.
One of the four officers who came under fire suffered a non-life threatening injury when glass shattered by the bullet the teen fired went into his eye, according to Sgt. Gripp.
He was transported to the hospital in stable condition.
Investigators said two officers discharged their firearms during the ordeal, WPVI reported.
They have both been placed on administrative duty as the investigation continues.
