Tasers deployed 3 times prior to officer-involved shooting that left suspect critical, police say
According to police, an officer opened fire on a knife-wielding suspect after three taser deployments had no effect.
PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police are releasing more information about an officer-involved shooting that left a suspect in critical condition on Wednesday.
Shortly before 11 a.m., two uniformed officers in a marked patrol car responded to a call for a person armed with a knife on the 4700 block of Rorer Street.
Police say the officers encountered the suspect, an unidentified Hispanic male approximately 45-years-old, at the top landing of the stairs armed with a knife.
The male allegedly began to walk down the stairs towards the officers as the officers backed away while ordering the man to drop the knife.
According to police, one of the officers, who was not equipped with a taser drew his firearm, ordering the suspect to stop and drop the knife. The second officer drew a taser and uttered the same commands.
Investigators say the suspect continued advancing toward one of the officers when the officer deployed his taser, striking him "center mass with no effect."
The suspect then began to charged in the direction of the other officer with the knife in hand.
Police say two backup officers arrived, in uniform and a marked patrol vehicle, and observed the first attempt to tase the suspect. One of the backup officers then deployed his taser, again striking the suspect center mass with no effect.
The defendant continued to charge one of the officers, who police say retreated backward for 225 feet in the middle of the street while giving more than a dozen commands for the suspect to drop the knife.
The backup officer was able to deploy his taser a second time, striking the suspect in the left side, again with no effect.
At that time, the officer who was retreating then fired two shots, paused, and shouted again for the suspect to stop, but police say he continued forward.
The officer fired a third shot, striking the victim in the chest. He kicked the knife away from the wounded suspect who officers then rushed to Temple University Hospital where he was listed in critical condition.
No other injuries were reported and police are still working to identify the suspect.
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