A gunman ambushed two Philadelphia police officers on a West Philadelphia porch, killing Officer Shane Seiber and badly wounding his partner, then kept shooting at more officers before police found him hiding in a tree.
Story Highlights
- Shortly after midnight on Saturday, October 10, two officers answering a man-with-a-gun call were shot on a porch on North 52nd Street, police said.
- Officer Shane Seiber, 40, a 10-year veteran and father of two, was shot three times and died later that day.
- His partner, 33 and a father of five, was shot 12 times. He is in stable condition but “not out of the woods yet,” the police commissioner said.
- Prosecutors say the gunman fired at nine more officers, who were not hit. Eric Lewis, 35, is charged with murder.
Ambush on a Porch After a Gun Call
Police were sent to the 100 block of North 52nd Street shortly after 12:20 a.m. after a report of a man with a gun on a porch. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, who leads the city’s police department, said the two officers came under “significant gunfire” once they reached the porch. Authorities said the man fired on them outside his own home.
Both officers were rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, a hospital in West Philadelphia, for surgery. Officer Seiber had been shot three times. His wife and family were with him at the hospital. “He fought valiantly, but he lost his life today,” Bethel said on Saturday. Seiber leaves behind a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter.
His partner, who was shot 12 times, is now stable. “He’s not out of the woods yet, but he is stable,” Bethel said.
Gunman Fired at More Officers, Then Hid in a Tree
After the first two officers were hit, the gunman kept shooting. District Attorney Larry Krasner said he opened fire on nine other officers as more police and a SWAT team arrived. None of them were hit. SWAT is a specially trained police team for armed and dangerous suspects.
Police locked down the neighborhood and searched for hours. They found the suspect in a tree and took him into custody. Officers recovered two handguns and a shotgun. Bethel said one of the handguns belonged to an officer who had been shot.
Murder Charge for the Suspect
Krasner identified the suspect as Eric Lewis, 35, who lives in the neighborhood. Lewis is charged with murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer and attempted murder for shooting at the other officers, among other charges. He is being held without bail. Lewis works for the city’s Water Department.
A City in Mourning
Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered flags flown at half-staff. “Our law enforcement officers are the very best of us,” he said. Mayor Cherelle Parker said the officers were “badly wounded” and that “their families right now are feeling unspeakable pain.”
For families who back the badge, this one hits hard. Two officers answered a call for help after midnight and, police say, were met with a wall of gunfire. One of them will not go home to his children. The officers who came next kept going, found the suspect and took him in. That is the job they signed up for, and it is why strong backing for police matters to every neighborhood they protect.
Sources:
abc7ny.com, cbsnews.com, foxnews.com, inquirer.com, patch.com
