PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia police have identified the man shot and killed by officers in South Philadelphia Tuesday night.
SWAT officers were serving a search warrant just before 6:30 p.m. on South Bancroft Street, near 16th and Mifflin streets. Police say they knocked and announced themselves twice at the door.
The warrant was in connection with gun and aggravated assault violations.
Authorities say Officer Philip Scratchard noticed a man in the doorway of the garage with a gun, and again they yelled “police” and ordered him to drop the gun and open the door.
As officers tried to use a ram to get into the property, police say the man — now identified as Vincenzo Rudi — fired at police. Scratchard shot back, hitting 44-year-old Rudi several times.
Related
Rudi died at the hospital. No one else was injured.
Scratchard has been placed on desk duty pending the outcome of the investigation. He is a 14-year veteran of the department and assigned to the same SWAT unit as Cpl. James O’Connor, an officer who was shot and killed in March 2020 while also serving a warrant early in the morning. Four people were arrested in that case.