Holly MatkinPhiladelphia, PA – A Philadelphia police officer was shot twice while responding to an armed robbery Tuesday night, according to police.
The suspect also allegedly shot a homeowner before shooting himself in the head, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Two more officers were injured when a police vehicle trying to rush the wounded suspect to the hospital slammed into another vehicle, according to police.
The incident began shortly after 10 p.m. on Dec. 21, when the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) received a report of an armed robbery at a residence located in the 400-block of Harlan Street, PPD Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said during a press conference outside Temple University Hospital later that night.
An officer was speaking with a victim at the scene when he noticed a man who matched the suspect’s description, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The officer was approaching the suspect when he suddenly came under fire, Commissioner Outlaw said.
The gunman shot the officer twice in the shoulder, then fled to the back portion of a property located in the 1400-block of North Lawrence Street, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The homeowner at that location was shot in the thigh by the alleged suspect while trying to flag down another officer who was responding to the scene.
Police soon located the gunman in the alley between Leithgow Street and Lawrence Street.
“While the officers were closing in on the suspect, the suspect shot himself in the head,” Commissioner Outlaw told reporters.
Police were rushing the wounded gunman to Temple Hospital when the police vehicle crashed into another car at the intersection of Oxford Street and 10th Street, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Two officers were injured in the wreck and were transported to the hospital, as was the suspect, the homeowner who was shot, and the wounded PPD officer.
The officers and the homeowner were all listed in stable condition at the hospital Tuesday night, Commissioner Outlaw told reporters.
The officer who was shot is a six-year PPD veteran, WPVI reported.
The alleged gunman was listed in critical condition Tuesday night.
Commissioner Outlaw said the chaotic attack is “unimaginable,” WPVI reported.
“These officers are out here doing what they’re trained to do. They run toward the danger. That’s what all of these officers here did, and they’re here in an emergency room,” she told reporters. “And the crazy thing about it is they’ll get up and they’ll do it again because this is who we are.”
The commissioner said she is beyond disgusted by the “brazen” attack.
“These are officers that are again in full uniform. These are fully marked vehicles,” she told reporters, according to WPVI. “There’s no question as to whether or not we are someone coming in to hurt or harm. We were obviously responding to assist.”
Police have not released the identities of the suspect or the victims.
Commissioner Outlaw said charges are pending against the alleged gunman, KYW reported.
BREAKING: @PhillyPolice shot in N. Philly after responding to a home robbery. The officer, homeowner & suspect are in stable condition @TempleHealth … @CBSPhilly chopper video below. pic.twitter.com/s3Sg9F0c8e
— Wakisha Bailey (@NewsWakisha) December 22, 2021
⚠️🇺🇸#URGENT: Officer down following ongoing shooting incident in Philadelphia#Philadelphia l #PA
Police are actively searching for an armed subject north of Downtown Philadelphia. Both a police officer and a civilian have been shot.
More information as it becomes available. pic.twitter.com/fndzh8NrKP— Intel Point ALERT (@IntelPointAlert) December 22, 2021
Another night of shootings in Philly. This time an officer is shot #Philadelphia #Philly pic.twitter.com/HFpFhXF7lG
— ₿rentos Bing Bong► (@brentos93) December 22, 2021
⚠️ UPDATE: the Philadelphia Police Officer shot this evening in North Philadelphia was shot in the right shoulder, according to @6abc. The officer was transported to the hospital and thankfully is in stable condition.
Pray for America’s Police Officers!… pic.twitter.com/dU2qbbIUOO
— Tri-County FOP #3 (@scfop3) December 22, 2021
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Sandy Malone
