PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A SWAT officer was shot in the chest while serving a warrant in North Philadelphia on Friday but avoided serious injury thanks to his bulletproof vest.
Police say officers were serving the warrant on the third-floor unit of a building on West Lehigh Avenue, near Second Street, when at least two shots were fired through the wall.
The officer was shot once in the chest, and the incident escalated from there.
“The male exited a rear window holding a gun and dropped to the second-floor roof,” Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said outside Temple University Hospital Friday afternoon. “Fortunately, we had two SWAT officers that were a rear containment unit. One containment officer fired rounds at the suspect, and he was not struck. Other SWAT team members were able to apprehend him on the second floor.”
The bullet did not penetrate the officer’s protective vest. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition and released shortly thereafter.
The offender is in police custody.
At least one gun has been recovered from the scene, which has been declared a hazmat location as it was being used to manufacture pills.
Related
“Thank God no one was injured,” Outlaw added. “Thank God the officer was able to walk out of the hospital and get quickly to his family.”
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 President John McNesby said in a statement: “Our officers and many residents in our city are under siege by violent offenders who care less about accountability. We expect the DA’s office to fully prosecute this violent defendant, now is not the time to cut another sweetheart deal for a defendant who tried to kill a cop.”
Outlaw acknowledged the department seized nearly 6,000 illegal guns last year, and the city is on pace to get even more.
“The number of illegal guns, it’s ridiculous,” she said. “I don’t speak for the mayor but he said it time and time again: It’s easier to get a gun than it is to get a driver’s license.”
Related
She said the department will continue to prioritize what it says is driving the rise in violent crime.
“As in this case and as with others, we know narcotic sales are driving up violent crime and we know the inclusion of illegally possessed firearms are also driving up violent crime, and that’s why we were out here.”