Three Phila. police-involved shootings in a day, one fatal, amid call for review of deadly force

(CBS/AP) PHILADELPHIA - On Wednesday night, Philadelphia police fatally shot a suspect during a shootout, marking the third shooting with police involvement in a single day.

The shootings occurred after the city's police commissioner, Charles Ramsey, declared he was seeking an independent review of the department's use of deadly force.

The fatal shooting occurred while police were trying to detain three suspects. A two-year-old boy was also injured when he was grazed by a bullet in the crossfire.

Earlier in the day on Wednesday, police shot two men in separate incidents. One was shot after he allegedly fired at officers, and the other man was shot in the buttocks after police say he pointed a gun at them.

Ramsey stated that similar deadl; force reviews had been done for the Las Vegas and New York police departments by CAN Analysis and Solutions and the RAND Firearm Evaluation group, which led to new training curriculums and new or revised policies within the departments.

The police commissioner said he asked the federal Department of Justice's Office of Community Orienting Policing Services to secure funding for such a review.

"Consulting with an independent party will ensure credibility and an objective view in this process of evaluating our policies and procedures," Ramsey wrote on the police department's Facebook page. "My primary concern is the sanctity of life equally for members of this department and the public we serve. At no point am I looking to compromise the safety of our officers."

Ramsey did say that the review was a study, not an audit or an investigation.

He wrote, "Utilizing the resources available to our police department to enhance the department is an intelligent and responsible decision, one that is owed to the public and the members of the department."