Family of man killed in police-involved corner store shooting speaks out
PHILADELPHIA - The family of a man killed during a police-involved shooting in North Philadelphia is speaking out about the incident in an exclusive interview with FOX 29.
Philadelphia police released new video Tuesday of the shooting that left an officer injured, one man dead and another still on the run days later.
The video depicts the entire deadly incident from several viewpoints, from the moment the first officer entered the store to shots being fired, and the second suspect fleeing the scene.
Police say both officers were on patrol when they stopped for a security check in connection to a shooting near the corner store Mascher and Cambria streets Friday night.
Philadelphia police shooting: Newly released video shows moment officer, suspect shot in corner store
Philadelphia police have released new video of a shooting that left an officer injured, one suspect dead and another still on the run days later.
In the video, one officer enters the store after an individual says something to three men standing in the back, including 28-year-old Alexander Spencer in a green jacket, 42-year-old Jose Quinones-Mendez in a red hoodie, and another unidentified man in a black hoodie.
The officer is then seen walking toward the three individuals, where police say he observed a firearm on Spencer, who police say had several previous arrests.
The second officer, who police later identified as Raheem Hall, is alerted of the weapon as he enters the store, and a struggle quickly ensues.
Both officers then fell to the ground with Spencer before a gunshot was heard moments later.
Police say that shot fired by Spencer struck one of the officers, penetrating his leg four different times as he crouched on the ground.
Officer Hall then fired his weapon, fatally striking Spencer.
Police say the officers’ guns remain holstered until after the first gunshot was fired, and that the struck officer's gun failed to fire during the incident.
The video goes on to show the officers holding Spencer down, calling for shots fired as they clear the store.
Quinones-Mendez is then seen taking the suspect’s gun and fleeing the store. He is still wanted by police in connection to the shooting, and a $10,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to this arrest.
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Philadelphia police shooting: $10,000 reward offered for suspect accused of fleeing with gun
A Philadelphia police officer was shot and a suspect is dead after he reportedly shot at officers in Fairhill. Officials are looking for a second man who they say picked up the suspect's gun and walked out of the store with it.
Spencer’s parents, Yvette and Kenneth, tell FOX 29 they were told by detectives on Friday night that Spencer was killed in a shootout. They were shown the video before it was released publicly on Tuesday, and they feel it does not match what they were told.
"If you stop somebody, and they put their hands up, he surrendered, why did you throw him on the machine, and attack him, and they shot him in his back," said Yvette. "He was somebody’s child, he was somebody’s father, he was somebody’s brother."
"My son was ambitious, he just wanted to do better," said Kenneth.
Court records show Spencer was arrested several times and as recently as last year, but his parents say the father of two was actively turning his life around. They say he just got his driver's license and was trying to get his credit score up.
Yvette questions why her son was approached in the first place.
"What about stop and frisk? I thought that was over, you’re not supposed to do that to anybody," she said. "So, you could just pull anybody over and jack them up, because they think they have a gun?"
PPD would not comment, but Commissioner Bethel said their internal affairs investigation will examine if there was any violation of department policy.