Suspect Shot, Killed During Confrontation With Philadelphia Police Officer
By Todd Quinones
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – An investigation is underway after a man is shot and killed during a confrontation with a Philadelphia police officer.
The 2nd district officer who fired the fatal shot was taken to the hospital after police say the suspect punched the officer in the face, and body slammed him to the sidewalk.
The violent confrontation started here just before 4 p.m. on the 6500 block of Castor Avenue in Oxford Circle.
Police tell CBS 3 the 39-year-old officer spotted the suspect try to robbing a man on the street of his cell phone and money.
When the officer tried to arrest the suspect, police content the suspect hit the officer and ran.
About a block later at Hellerman Street, the officer caught up to the suspect and the struggled continued.
That's when police claim the uniformed officer tased the suspect not once, but twice, but that didn't subdue the man. Neither did the pepper spray the officer then used.
"The suspect then picked up the officer and body slammed him and slammed him violently onto the concrete where the officer struck his head according to witnesses very hard on the concrete. The officer then pulled his firearm and shot the suspect one time," Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
The 45-year-old unarmed suspect was shot in the chest.
He was pronounced dead at Aria Health Torresdale Campus just before 5 p.m.
CBS 3 is told he had a lengthy arrest record that included rape, theft and assault.
The 39-year-old officer was assigned to foot patrol in the area because of a recent rash of robberies.
There were about six eyewitnesses to Tuesday's confrontation, including the initial victim. All are being interviewed by police.
Detectives have also retrieved some surveillance video from businesses in the area.
The 17-year veteran was rushed to Albert Einstein Medical Center where he was being evaluated for possible head injuries.
And as is standard procedure, that officer will be placed on desk duty pending the outcome of the Internal Affairs investigation. Right now, the Philadelphia Police Department is not officially releasing the name of the officer or suspect.