Three SWAT officers shot while executing 6 am homicide warrant in Philadelphia, teen suspect shot dead
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Three police SWAT officers were shot while serving a homicide warrant at a home early Wednesday, October 12. A 19-year-old inside the home reportedly died in the exchange of gunfire.
The encounter took place just after 6 am in a home along North 10th Street, near Brown Street in North Philadelphia's Poplar section. Police officers and vehicles were spotted in the area. Philadelphia police said one officer was struck in the chest, one in the leg, and one in the hip. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney told reporters Wednesday morning that each officer survived the shooting and was "doing well" while being treated at Jefferson University Hospital. He said the officers were "sitting up" and "talking" at the hospital.
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According to NBC 10 Philadelphia, the focus of the warrant was an unidentified 19-year-old who was wanted in an August homicide and at least two armed robberies. "Something has been broken in this young man's life for a long time and it didn't just start today," Deputy Police Commissioner John Stanford said of the teenage suspect at an impromptu press conference.
Stanford said SWAT officers took on gunfire through the door and window of the home while attempting to knock unannounced. They somehow managed to get into the home while continuing to take more gunfire. The shooter reportedly ran through the home and tried to flee out of the back of the property, but officers confronted the suspect and exchanged gunfire with him. The teenager was shot at some point and immediately rushed to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. NBC10 reported how a person was seen being loaded into an ambulance on nearby 9th Street, although it's unclear how that person was involved.
Commenting on the rampant gun violence in Philadelphia, Stanford said, "This is ridiculous." He noted that the suspect had a lengthy criminal record and questioned why he wasn't already behind bars. "I'm not pointing the finger at anybody, I'm pointing the finger at everybody because too many people have guns," he said. "This is an all hand's on deck situation where everybody needs to be held accountable." According to Stanford, other people were in the home at the time of the shootout, but they didn't appear to have anything to do with it. However, at least two people were reportedly handcuffed and led past the police tape by officers at the scene.
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The National Fraternal Order of Police -- the largest police union in the US -- cited Wednesday's shooting as yet another example of violence faced by cops across the nation. "Please pray for the 3 Philadelphia Police SWAT officers who were shot this morning while serving a warrant. Reports indicate they were rushed to the hospital and are in stable condition," the union said in a tweet. "The out-of-control violence against the police MUST STOP!"
🚨 THREE OFFICERS DOWN: Please pray for the 3 Philadelphia Police SWAT officers who were shot this morning while serving a warrant. Reports indicate they were rushed to the hospital and are in stable condition.
— National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) (@GLFOP) October 12, 2022
The out of control violence against the police MUST STOP! #NoMore pic.twitter.com/gAjb6pCVGx
Meanwhile, Mayor Kenney lauded the officers' bravery. "It just shows that our officers continue every single day and every single night to work their best, to be brave, and to put themselves in harm's way," he said.