Man with knife killed by police; third death this week

In the third fatal shooting by Philadelphia police this week, officers this morning shot and killed a Northeast man who they said came at them wielding a butcher knife. The man's name has not yet been released.

According to Lt. John Stanford, police went to the 1400 block of E. Robbins street around 7 a.m. to respond to a report of a person with a knife, and found a 23-year-old man in the middle of the street.

Officers knocked the man to the ground using the bumper of the police cruiser, Stanford said, then got out and told him to drop the knife. When the man refused they tried to subdue him with pepper spray, which had little effect. The man then ran at police, causing them to shoot.

The man was taken to an area hospital in critical condition, but later died.

Civilian witnesses on the scene have corroborated the officers' account, Stanford said, and police recovered a seven-inch butcher knife on the street.

Police this week shot and killed two men in separate incidents who they said were armed and threatened officers. On Thursday night, police also shot and injured a 21-year-old North Philadelphia man who police said ran at them with a gun.