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Attempted murder charge filed after man shot by security near federal courthouse in Philadelphia

Published  January 19, 2023 12:24pm EST
Philadelphia
Associated Press

Security officer shoots armed suspect outside of federal courthouse in Philadelphia, officials say

Officials say the security officer shot the suspect, believed to be a man in his 40s, multiple times after he did not obey commands to drop his weapons and stand still.

PHILADELPHIA - Federal authorities say a man shot and wounded by a security officer outside the federal courthouse in Philadelphia was armed with two knives and has been charged with attempted murder and assault.

The FBI said in a criminal complaint Wednesday that a private security officer contracted by the U.S. Marshals Service approached a minivan that was illegally parked outside the courthouse at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Authorities said 44-year-old Anthony Lombardo of Bristol got out and approached the officer with a large kitchen knife in his hand. The security officer fired and Lombardo fell to his knees and dropped the knife, but grabbed for something inside the sleeve of his long-sleeved shirt, and the security officer fired again, authorities said.

Federal law enforcement officials told reporters Tuesday that the suspect ignored orders to drop his weapon.

As medical aid was being provided to Lombardo, two witnesses reported seeing a second knife being removed from him, authorities said. A "square, bulky object" beneath his sweatshirt that law enforcement officers feared might conceal an explosive turned out to be "makeshift body armor made of hard plastic," authorities said.

Lombardo, who was taken to a hospital, was charged with attempted murder and forcible assault of a federal officer and a person assisting such an officer. Court documents don't list a defense attorney for him; a phone number listed in that name rang unanswered Wednesday night and then disconnected.