Two Police Officers Shot in West Philly
Update: Police have released more information about the shocking sequence events that left two people dead and two policers officers wounded in West Philly on Friday. According to Philly.com, a gunman approached a patrol car and fired more than a dozen shots at Sgt. Sylvia Young, who was sitting inside the vehicle. She was wounded in the arm.
The shooter fired into a nearby bar, wounding a security guard, and tried to use a woman as a human shield before shooting her in the leg. He then opened fire on a passing car at 49th and Spruce, critically wounding one occupant and killing another. The gunman wounded a Penn police officer named Eddie Miller in a nearby alley. Philly police officers fatally shot the gunman, who didn’t have any identification, the website reported.
Earlier:
A Philadelphia police officer and a University of Pennsylvania police officer were both shot in West Philly late Friday night.
The officers, whose names were not released, were reportedly in stable condition at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center after they were wounded near 51st and Sansom streets shortly after 11 p.m. Cops swarmed the area in the immediate aftermath of the shooting to comb across a large perimeter for possible suspects.
Concrete information was difficult to come by early Saturday morning. Reports of residents being wounded fluctuated on social media; 6ABC tweeted that in addition to the two cops, two civilians had been shot, and one suspect was dead.
W. Phila #UPDATE
One Phila. Police Sgt. shot
One U. of Pa. police officer shot
Two civilians shot
One suspect killed pic.twitter.com/QfFK8TDxGu— Action News on 6abc (@6abc) September 17, 2016
It was unclear exactly how the officers ended up getting wounded, although some neighbors suggested the bedlam began with a shooting at a nearby lounge.
It's believed by neighbors the shooting started at Maximum Level lounge on 5100 blk. Sansom. Neighbors say shootout pic.twitter.com/Q46Wmg6mi0
— Mike Nik (@6abcmike) September 17, 2016
Students should not go West of Farrugut Street (past 45th) a Penn police officer said. Two officers and one civilian were allegedly shot.
— The Daily Pennsylvanian (@dailypenn) September 17, 2016
@FOX29philly Police sources say female Sgt struck multiple times.vest deflects 3 shots.Stable.UPenn Ofc stable#fox29 pic.twitter.com/uTuwYN6NhG
— Dave Schratwieser (@DSchratwieser) September 17, 2016
Police Commissioner Richard Ross and Mayor Jim Kenney were expected to provide more information as the morning wore on.
Two police officers in Fort Worth, Texas, were also shot in the line of duty on Friday.
Chief Fitzgerald updating condition of Officers.
One out of surgery, one still in.
Will keep you updated. pic.twitter.com/H4mtL1iuAW— Fort Worth Police (@fortworthpd) September 17, 2016
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