PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Police have arrested a man wanted in connection with the shooting of a Philadelphia School District safety officer late last month.
Around 1:45 a.m. on June 29, a road rage incident erupted between the drivers of a white Kia Sportage and a black Dodge pickup truck on I-95.
Authorities said the man in the Kia pointed a gun at the other driver, prompting a chase that continued off the highway and onto Columbus Boulevard, near Dave and Buster’s, where they flagged down the officer who was inside a marked public safety vehicle. Authorities say they likely believed he was part of the Police Department.
The officer tried to intervene, and that’s when the driver of the Kia opened fire, shot him in the face and torso and took off eastbound on Girard Avenue. The safety officer, who has only been identified as a retired Philly police officer, was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
On Saturday, 28-year-old Ariza Giansteban was arrested in New Jersey. He will be extradited to Philadelphia to face charges.