Police arrest suspect in beating death of Oak Lane man in Fishtown

Police have charged a North Philadelphia man with the beating death early Saturday morning of 30-year-old Oak Lane man in Fishtown.

Police said they responded to a report of “a person screaming” in front of a 7-Eleven store at 23 W. Girard Ave. They found Brian Lawhon, of the 6500 block of Walnut Park Drive, on the pavement. He was transported to Hahnemann Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:15 a.m.

Police investigators said they determined there had been a fight between Lawhon and Joseph Schimpf, 26, of the 1200 block of North Howard Street. Schimpf was arrested at the scene and charged with murder and related offenses, police said.