PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Philadelphia officers shot and killed a man Wednesday during a traffic stop after he fired a handgun at them, striking one of the officers in the foot, police said.
Two officers pulled over a vehicle with four people inside at about 6:45 p.m. Wednesday around the corner from the Einstein Medical Center. The officers collected identification from the vehicle’s occupants and found that two of them had outstanding warrants, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a Wednesday night news conference.
The officers requested backup, and two police cruisers in the area responded, Outlaw said. Officers approached the vehicle for a second time to detain the wanted individuals, at which point a man in the rear passenger side of the vehicle fired at least one round from a handgun, she said.
Sgt. Eric Gripp said at an earlier news conference the officers retreated after the shot, and the 24-year-old passenger exited and fired at least once more at officers, who returned fire. At least five officers shot the man in the torso, he said.
Police took the man to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 7 p.m. The injured officer was taken to the hospital by his police partner and was in stable condition Sunday night, Gripp said.
A handgun was recovered from the scene, he said.
Investigators detained the three other passengers in the vehicle for questioning, Outlaw said. None of them were injured, Gripp said.
It wasn’t immediately clear why the vehicle was pulled over, Outlaw said.
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