Police: Armed teen shot by police after crashing stolen bus on Walt Whitman Bridge

PHILADELPHIA - Police say an armed teenager was shot by police after he crashed a stolen school bus on Walt Whitman Bridge early Monday morning.

“I can confirm it’s a 17-year-old individual from our town," West Deptford Police Chief Sean McKenna said.

According to police, an officer spotted a stolen school bus Sunday around 11:30 p.m. Police say the bus had been swiped from a school bus distributor in town.

"Saw there was no plate on there and thought it may be a stolen vehicle. At that point, it jumped on 295 at exit 19, driving at a high rate of speed, erratically," Chief McKenna said.

Police say the driver pulled over at one point along 295 but sped off as an officer approached. Fearing danger to the public, police ended the chase at exit 25 just as the bus hits a guardrail.

The Delaware River Port Authority says its police come upon the bus crashed in the right lane with the young driver masked, walking toward New Jersey in traffic carrying a knife.

“They yelled for him to stop. At some point, he turned around and walked toward them, brandishing a knife. They continued to issue commands for him to stop. They began to back up. He charged the officers at which time they discharged their weapons," DRPA CEO John Hanson said

Hanson says both officers fired, striking the 17-year-old, who is expected to survive. Traffic was snarled on the Whitman for hours while police investigated. The bus was finally towed away leaving many questions still to be answered.

“It’s unfortunate it had to come to this," Chief McKenna said.

This is an ongoing investigation. No further details have been released at this time.