Philly Officer Shooting
Three Philadelphia Police Officers Shot; Suspect Killed After Late-Night Exchange
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Key Points
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Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said the suspect who was killed was a 59-year-old man (only later identified by age), and police said the man was not believed to have been involved in the original shooting that prompted the call.
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Officials said the three officers wounded included “two patrol officers and a sergeant,” with gunshot wounds described as striking the face, hip and leg.
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NBC10 reported investigators were focused on a black Cadillac in the roadway tied to the incident.
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One report said the suspect was declared dead at Jefferson Hospital, while officers were treated at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center—adding a hospital-location detail beyond the initial scene death account.
Three Philadelphia police officers were shot and wounded late Saturday night in the Wynnefield neighborhood, and the suspect who opened fire on them is dead. The shooting unfolded near North 54th Street and Arlington Street in just 13 minutes, from the first 911 call at 10:33 p.m. to the moment officers were hit at 10:46 p.m., according to Philadelphia Police Department.
All three officers — a sergeant and two patrol officers — were taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and listed in stable condition. The sergeant was shot in the leg, one patrol officer in the face, and another in the hip. No civilians were hurt, despite the residential setting, CBS News reported.
How a Shots-Fired Call Turned Into a Gunfight
Officers were dispatched at 10:33 p.m. after reports of a shooting in the area. They found a black Cadillac in the roadway that had been struck by gunfire, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. During their search of the area, they encountered a 59-year-old man acting aggressively.
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said officers gave the man multiple commands to stand down and tried to take him into custody. At 10:46 p.m., the man pulled a firearm and opened fire. Four officers returned fire. The suspect was shot and later pronounced dead at Jefferson University Hospital, NBC10 Philadelphia reported. A weapon was recovered at the scene.
Suspect Was Not the Original Shooter, Police Say
A key detail from Commissioner Bethel: the 59-year-old man killed was not believed to be the person who fired the shots that triggered the initial 911 call. "Our officers were out here doing their jobs, responding to a call of shots fired to protect this community, when they were met with deadly force by an individual who, by all accounts, was not even the initial target of our investigation," Bethel said, according to Audacy.
That distinction matters legally and tactically. The original shooter — the person who fired into the Cadillac at 10:33 p.m. — has not been identified or arrested. The District Attorney's Special Investigations Unit is now leading the probe, with body-worn camera footage expected to be central to determining what happened, WHYY reported.
Massive Police Response After 'Officer Down' Calls Go Out
At 10:47 p.m. — one minute after the shooting — "Officer Down" calls went out over police radio. More than 100 police units flooded the Wynnefield neighborhood in response, according to 6ABC Action News. The suspect's identity has not been released publicly, pending notification of his family.
Some sources identified the suspect as a retired firefighter, though police have not confirmed that detail. Mayor Cherelle Parker released a statement early Sunday morning. "This is another painful reminder of the sunshine-to-sunset danger our officers face," she said. "We are praying for their swift recovery."
Community Questions Linger as Investigation Continues
Wynnefield is a middle-class residential neighborhood. The fact that the man killed was not the original suspect has raised questions from some community members. Residents interviewed by The Philadelphia Inquirer asked whether the suspect felt cornered or profiled during a police stop for a crime he did not commit.
Roosevelt Poplar, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, pushed back on that framing. "The officers tried to de-escalate. They told him to stand down. He chose to pull a gun," Poplar told Fox29. Investigators are still working to find the person responsible for the original shooting that started the whole chain of events.
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