PHILADELPHIA, PA – A dramatic police chase in Philadelphia ended in a hail of bullets early Sunday morning, resulting in injuries to two officers and a suspect, city law enforcement officials reported.
The incident unfolded at approximately 2:30 a.m., when officers responded to a shooting report. Upon arrival, they spotted a pickup truck driven by a man believed to be connected to the incident. The suspect initially complied when an officer activated his emergency lights, but fled the scene as the officer approached on foot.
The suspect’s vehicle was soon located again, triggering a high-speed chase that concluded when the suspect crashed his truck into a police car. The suspect then exited his vehicle and began firing at the officers. Four officers returned fire, hitting the suspect, a 40-year-old man, at least once. He was subsequently rushed to a hospital for surgery and is currently listed in critical condition.
Two officers were injured in the incident. A 32-year-old officer with nine years of service received a minor wound to his nose, while a 31-year-old officer with six years on the force was shot in the ankle and grazed on the head. Both officers received medical treatment, with the latter listed in stable condition. Their injuries are not life-threatening. The police vehicle they occupied was the one struck by the suspect’s truck and was also hit by several gunshots, causing its rear passenger window to shatter.
Interim city Police Commissioner John Stanford disclosed in a press conference that one of the injured officers had previously been wounded in a separate shooting incident, but offered no additional details. The identities of the officers and the suspect are yet to be released. There were no other reported injuries from the chase or the shootout.
The four officers who fired at the suspect have been temporarily reassigned to administrative duties while an investigation into the shooting is conducted, in line with standard department policy.