Philadelphia Officer Killed in Gunfight, 12 Shots Fired
A Philadelphia police officer was killed during a gunfight with a suspect, while another officer was critically injured.
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A Philadelphia police officer was killed Saturday during a gunfight with a suspect, while another officer was critically injured, according to the city’s police commissioner. The incident occurred after officers responded to a report of an armed man in West Philadelphia.
Officer Killed, Another Officer Injured
Officer Shane Seiber, 40, a ten-year veteran with a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter, was shot three times during the confrontation. The second officer, 33 and a father of five, was struck 12 times. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel stated that the second officer is stable but not out of the woods yet. Both officers were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
Gunfight and Suspect Arrest
Officers from the 19th District were sent to the scene just after 12:20 a.m. for a report of a man with a gun on the porch. The shots came soon after the officers reached the porch, about half an hour after dispatch. The gunman reportedly ran through an alley and fired at other officers, missing them. Police found him in a tree and arrested him.
Investigation and Suspect Identified
Investigators recovered a shotgun and two handguns. One of the handguns had been taken from a wounded officer, according to Bethel. Police have not publicly named the suspect in custody or said what prompted the shooting. Law enforcement sources have identified him to the Philadelphia Inquirer as Eric Lewis, a Philadelphia Water Department employee.
Mayor Calls for Legislative Action
Mayor Cherelle Parker, who said the officers were “badly wounded,” used the briefing to urge state lawmakers to expand Pennsylvania’s involuntary commitment law to cover substance use disorder and other behavioral conditions. Officials have not tied the suspect to either.
Family and Future Plans
Seiber’s wife and relatives were with him at the hospital when he died. “He fought valiantly, but he lost his life today,” Bethel said. Police sources told CBS News Philadelphia that Seiber had recently finished SWAT training and hoped to join the unit.
Source: Daily Wire
