Philadelphia police shot a reportedly armed man after a domestic dispute in East Mount Airy; a hammer was recovered
The two Philadelphia police officers are on administrative duty until an investigation is completed.
Two Philadelphia police officers responding to a call about a person with a gun in East Mount Airy shot a 23-year-old man who witnesses said had been threatening them with a hammer, police said.
No gun was found, according to police.
A 23-year-old woman was in her home on the unit block of East Cliveden Street shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday when an argument broke out between her and the man, police said. He was asked to leave the apartment and, after he did so, later returned, getting back in through a window, police said.
He then grabbed the woman by the arm and took her to the bedroom, police said, where they continued to argue.
A second man, a 26-year-old, arrived at the apartment building and knocked on the front door, at which point the 23-year-old man grabbed a hammer to confront him, the woman told police. The 26-year-old man was the subject of the earlier argument, police said, but it is unclear how.
Two police officers assigned to the 14th District arrived at the apartment building and saw the 26-year-old man on the top step, knocking on the front door and calling for the 23-year-old man to come out.
Police said they heard the 26-year-old say, “Oh — you have a hammer,” before the man backed away from the entrance.
The 23-year-old man then came outside holding an object in his hand, which the officers believed was a firearm, police said. Both officers fired their guns and he went back inside the building, police said.
After a barricade situation and SWAT being called to help, the man eventually came out of the building and was taken into custody without incident, police said. He was treated at a local hospital for a gunshot wound to one arm and a graze wound to the other arm before being released, police said.
Authorities have not yet said what he will be charged with. The shooting was captured on the officers’ body-worn cameras and a hammer was recovered at the scene.
It is unclear if the 23-year-old man was struck by bullets fired from both officers’ guns.
The police — a 42-year-old lieutenant and a 36-year-old patrol officer — will be placed on administrative duty until the investigation is completed, as is customary when police officers discharge their firearms.
The incident remains under investigation by the department’s Officer Involved Shooting Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Bureau, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.