Officer shot in West Philadelphia, suspects arrested: police
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A police officer was hospitalized after he was shot at least twice in West Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon. Police sources said all three suspects are in custody, including the alleged shooter.
The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. on the 6000 block of Summer Street.
First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford said the officer and his partner were conducting a vehicle investigation with three people inside when the officer and a passenger in the vehicle got into a struggle.
The suspect allegedly then shot the officer, striking him at least twice in the abdomen area just under his vest, Stanford said.
"The fact that you would shoot at a police officer that's doing their job," Stanford said, you have no regard for life."
Stanford claims the officer's partner returned fire and the suspects fled the scene. The partner then drove the officer to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
The officer underwent surgery and was placed in stable condition.
Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said two people were in custody during a news conference. The third suspect -- the alleged shooter -- was later apprehended shortly after 9 p.m. in Southwest Philadelphia.
"I said before, we don't sign up to be martyrs," Outlaw said. "We don't, you know, leave our families and everything we know with the expectation of getting shot. We know it's a potential danger, but this has to stop. This absolutely has to stop."
Stanford said the officer is 32 years old and has been in the police department for five years.
"It's just a very dangerous and difficult job done by very brave people," Mayor Jim Kenney said. "They go out every day to try to keep us safe, put their lives in harm's way and their health in harm's way. We can't really repay them for doing that kind of work. Our prayers are with the officer and all of our officers to make sure that he recovers and they stay safe."
Stanford said the department's officer-involved investigation team will be investigating the police discharge.
For hours, police blocked the streets surrounding the shooting scene.
The officer's identity has not been released.
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 President John McNesby said in a statement, "We've answered this call too many times to count as another Philadelphia police officer has been shot in the line of duty. Enough is enough."
