Authorities Identify Shooting Suspect Killed In Philadelphia By Police After Pursuit As Terrence Bey
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia police on Thursday identified a shooting suspect who was shot and killed after allegedly firing at officers following a pursuit across multiple jurisdictions Wednesday. Police say 29-year-old Terrence Bey led Bucks County police on a pursuit into Philadelphia after they responded to the 2000 block of Veterans Highway in Middletown Township for a "possible armed domestic" incident.
Officers from the Middletown Township Police Department observed Bey walking away from a parked Volvo while talking on the phone when a witness exited a first-floor apartment and pointed at Bey, saying he was the reason the witness called the police.
As the officer walked toward Bey, he turned around with his hand in his front waistband area walking toward the officers, police say. The officer drew his weapon, ordering Bey to show his hands, but he refused and started running to the back of the apartment building, according to police. A foot pursuit began and the officer lost sight of him as he circled the building.
Police say a short time later, the officer heard a gunshot followed by shattering glass. The officer saw the first-floor apartment's sliding glass door was shattered by an apparent bullet hole, and a male victim exited the home.
The victim was holding his face, apparently suffering from a gunshot, hollering 'He shot me, please help," police say. The officer assisted the injured male and observed Bey getting into a Volvo and fleeing the scene. Additional officers arrived and pursued Bey in the Volvo.
Multiple police vehicles from several departments in Bucks County assisted in the pursuit through Middletown Township. The pursuit then entered Northeast Philadelphia and ended when a Middletown Township sergeant used a pit maneuver at Whitaker Avenue and the Roosevelt Boulevard, causing Bey's vehicle to turn 180 degrees and come to a halt face-to-face with a Lower Makefield Police vehicle, which was operated by a police sergeant.
When he observed Bey pointing what appeared to be a handgun at him, the sergeant rammed his vehicle into Bey's, took cover under this dashboard and heard multiple gunshots, according to police.
Police say Bey was then observed running across the Roosevelt Boulevard and was at one point pointing his firearm at the sergeant, who then took cover losing sight of Bey and again hearing gunshots.
At this time, an officer involved in the original pursuit fired at least one round at Bey after observing him pointing a weapon at the officer. A Philadelphia Police Counter-Terrorism officer also observed Bey running toward the Sunoco along Adams Avenue, where he saw Bey discharge his firearm at police.
Police say this is when an officer from the 15th District discharged his weapon at Bey at least one time, after Bey pointed his firearm at him, striking him in the head.
"The decision to utilize deadly force is a decision that police officers hope they will never have to make," said Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. "This incident, which transpired across several jurisdictions, began with the shooting of a man in Bucks County, PA, and ended with the alleged shooter losing his life after engaging in a gun battle with police officers from multiple agencies. I am grateful that there were no additional injuries to civilians or police officers, and hope for a fast and full recovery to the victim of the initial shooting. I assure the public that the Officer Involved Shootings Investigations Unit will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident, and will subsequently present their findings to the District Attorney's Office."