PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Latest on the standoff in Philadelphia that injured six police officers (all times local):
2:50 p.m.
Philadelphia’s police commissioner says a gunman who barricaded himself in a rowhouse and exchanged gunfire with police for hours had a military-style AR-15 and a handgun.
Richard Ross told reporters Thursday that police still do not have access to the crime scene because tear gas was used there, so he is not sure if there were other weapons.
Six officers were wounded in the standoff and have since been released from hospitals.
Ross said: “That was an incident unlike anything I’ve seen in my 30 years.”
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2:40 p.m.
Philadelphia’s top federal prosecutor says the shooting of six police officers during a 7 1/2-hour standoff was precipitated by a disrespect for law enforcement that the city’s district attorney is championing.
U.S. Attorney William McSwain said Thursday in a news release that disrespect puts police in danger.
The top prosecutors have a sharp ideological divide. McSwain is a President Donald Trump appointee and Larry Krasner is a longtime civil rights lawyer.
McSwain has previously questioned Krasner’s commitment to crime victims.
An email seeking comment was sent to Krasner.
The six officers had non-life-threatening injuries and have been released from the hospital. The suspected gunman is in custody after surrendering.
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2:30 p.m.
Politicians from Pennsylvania are calling for new gun-control measures after a gunman barricaded himself inside a Philadelphia house for hours, shooting at police.
Six officers were wounded in the standoff Wednesday night and have since been released from the hospital. The gunman surrendered and was taken into custody.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey told reporters Thursday that the Senate must vote on a background check bill and also move to ban “weapons of war.”
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2:20 p.m.
Philadelphia’s mayor says state and federal lawmakers have to act to end gun violence ravaging cities like his after a standoff with a gunman left six police wounded.
Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney told reporters Thursday that lawmakers need to “step up or step aside” and let cities deal with the problem themselves. He did not give specifics on what he wanted to see done.
The gunman came out of the home where he had barricaded himself for hours after police used tear gas. He was placed into custody.
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12:35 p.m.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner says a suspected gunman fired more than 100 rounds during an hourslong standoff.
Six police officers were wounded.
Krasner told reporters Thursday that Maurice Hill has not yet been charged, but he will likely face attempted murder and other charges.
He credited police with ending the standoff Wednesday night. He called it “brilliant policing and maybe a little bit of a miracle.”
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12:20 p.m.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner says the suspected gunman in an hourslong standoff that left six police wounded “should not have been on the streets.”
But he added that law enforcement officials did not have a “crystal ball” to predict his behavior.
Krasner told reporters Thursday that Maurice Hill has not yet been charged, but he will face “more than enough charges, so Mr. Maurice Hill may never exit jail.”
Krasner said Hill has an extensive criminal history, including having faced drugs, guns, and robbery charges.
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11:35 a.m.
The lawyer representing the suspected gunman who opened fire on police officers in Philadelphia says his client called him during the standoff asking for help surrendering.
Shaka Johnson tells WPVI-TV on Thursday that Maurice Hill called him around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday saying he was barricaded in a house and wanted to come out. Johnson says he arranged a phone call with Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, Police Commissioner Richard Ross, him and Hill.
He says Hill has a newborn daughter and a teenage son, and he wanted to see his children again.
Johnson praised police for their handling of the situation.
Six officers were wounded. They’ve been treated and released from hospitals.
Ross tells the news site that he appreciated the attorney’s help, but it was ultimately the tear gas that ended the ordeal.
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8:15 a.m.
A law enforcement official has identified the suspected gunman who wounded six police officers in Philadelphia during an hourslong standoff.
The official says the suspect is 36-year-old Maurice Hill, who has a criminal history that included firearms charges. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
During the standoff, the gunman told the police commissioner who was trying to negotiate his surrender that he had an extensive criminal record.
Hill surrendered early Thursday when police used tear gas, hours after gunfire erupted when officers tried to serve a narcotics warrant.
The six officers who were wounded were treated and released from hospitals.
- By Michael Balsamo
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7 a.m.
Philadelphia’s police commissioner says he’s surprised the gunman who wounded six officers surrendered after he barricaded himself in a home for hours.
Richard Ross says the gunman mentioned he had an extensive criminal history as he tried to negotiate his surrender on a cellphone.
The commissioner says he does not believe the gunman knew two police officers were trapped upstairs in the home along with three civilians.
He says the tear gas ultimately caused the gunman to come out early Thursday. The gunman was taken to a hospital for evaluation and then placed into custody.
His name has not been released.
The shooting started Wednesday when gunfire erupted in the home as officers were serving a narcotics warrant.
The six officers who were shot have been released from hospitals.
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12:15 a.m.
Authorities say a gunman who barricaded himself for hours inside a Philadelphia home, shooting at and wounding six officers, is in police custody.
Philadelphia police Sgt. Eric Gripp said early Thursday morning that the man was taken in custody after an hourslong standoff with police.
The shooting started around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Officers were serving a narcotics warrant at a home and had already entered when gunfire erupted. The gunman and police exchanged gunfire for hours.
Six officers were shot, but have been released from hospitals. Two officers had been trapped in the house during the standoff but were safely evacuated.
A heavy police presence was in the neighborhood for hours with businesses, including day care centers, on lockdown and roads closed.
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