Philadelphia officer hit in vest during deadly shootout with suspect armed with police weapon
Deadly shooting involving 2 Philly officers: Everything we know
A 36-year-old suspect is dead after police say a shooting involving two Philadelphia police officers occurred Thursday.
PHILADELPHIA - A suspect is dead and a Philadelphia police officer was rushed to the hospital after police say the suspect got a hold of an officer’s gun and opened fire early Thursday afternoon.
The injured officer was struck in his bulletproof vest, and was not seriously injured.
Police say the suspect was being voluntarily taken to Friends Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia by police after experiencing a mental health episode.
What we know:
Police provide details of officer-involved shooting in Philadelphia
Authorities are responding to reports of a police-involved shooting in Northeast Philadelphia.
At around 12:24 p.m. Thursday, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel says two officers witnessed a man running through traffic.
They approached the man and spoke to him, and he agreed to be voluntarily committed as he was experiencing a mental health issue.
The officers called for a police van to transport the man to Friends Hospital. Commissioner Bethel noted that the man was not handcuffed in the wagon as he volunteered to be taken to the hospital and was not in custody.
When the van arrived at the hospital, the man exited the back of the van and the two officers who transported him were directing him into the hospital. At some point during that conversation, Commissioner Bethel says the man became combative with the officers and a physical struggle ensued.
Bethel says the officers and suspect eventually ended up on the ground and the suspect was attempting to take one of the officers’ firearms. The officers deployed their Tasers, but they were not effective.
The suspect was able to get a hold of one of the officers guns during the struggle, according to Bethel.
‘Shortly thereafter, there is an exchange of gunfire between the individual who now has the police officer’s weapon, and his partner," Bethel says.
SKYFOX over scene of reported police-involved shooting in Philadelphia
SKYFOX was over the scene after sources say a Philadelphia Police officer was hit in the vest and a suspect was injured in a shooting.
One of the officers was struck in his bulletproof vest, about an inch from the bottom of the vest. The other officer was not hit by gunfire.
The suspect was shot multiple times and taken to Einstein Medical Center where he later succumbed to his injuries.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not yet released the name of the suspect who was killed in the shootout. The officers who were involved have also not been identified at this time.
Police did not specify the number of shots fired during the exchange.