Philly police officer, homeowner shot during robbery investigation; 2 officers hurt in crash

This story originally appeared on 6abc.

A robbery suspect shot a police officer and a homeowner before turning the gun on himself during a chaotic confrontation in North Philadelphia on Tuesday night, authorities said.

It happened around 10 p.m. on the 1400 block of North Leithgow Street in the city’s Kensington section.

According to Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, a 26th district police officer was talking to a robbery victim on Harlan Street when the officer spotted a person matching the suspect’s description.

The officer, a six-year veteran of the force, tried to stop him and a chase ensued.

The suspect then shot the officer twice in the shoulder, Outlaw said.

After the initial shooting, police said the suspect ran to a property on Leithgow and Lawrence streets.

Police said a homeowner waved down responding officers.

The suspect opened fire toward the home and shot the homeowner in the thigh.

As officers closed in on the suspect in a nearby alley, the commissioner said the suspect shot himself in the head.

Officers transporting the suspect to the hospital crashed with another vehicle near 10th and Oxford streets. Two officers were injured in the wreck.

Everyone injured in the incident was taken to Temple University Hospital.

The officer and the homeowner who were shot and the officers injured in the crash were listed in stable condition. The suspect was listed in critical condition from the self-inflicted wound.

The police commissioner, police union leader John McNesby, family and fellow officers all rushed to the emergency room Tuesday night.

“This is just unimaginable. Unimaginable. These officers are out here doing what they’re trained to do, they run toward the danger- that’s what all of these officers here did – and they’re here in an emergency room,” Outlaw said, adding, “and the crazy thing about it is they’ll get up and they’ll do it again because this is who we are.”

The commissioner expressed her anger following another shooting involving an officer.

“I’m beyond disgust at this point. These are officers that are again in full uniform. These are fully marked vehicles. There’s no question as to whether or not we are someone coming in to hurt or harm. We were obviously responding to assist,” Outlaw said.