Latest evidence in the fatal Fairhill deli shooting | Morning Newsletter
And the Daily Pennsylvanian is getting new digs
The Morning Newsletter
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Welcome to Wednesday. Some isolated showers are expected, but overall, it should be mostly cloudy with a high near 44.
Officials are continuing to investigate the Friday shooting in Philadelphia’s Fairhill neighborhood that left one man dead and an officer injured. Police have now released surveillance footage that they say provides a more complete account of what happened, and one they hoped would quell speculation stirred by a shorter viral video posted over the weekend.
Our lead story lays out what we know and what we don’t as the investigation continues.
— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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A deadly confrontation at a Fairhill corner store, in which police shot and killed 28-year-old Alexander Spencer and an officer was injured, drew controversy after an Instagram video circulated showing two police officers wrestling with Spencer on the floor moments before he was shot. The video sparked anger and raised questions about the initial description police provided last week.
Catch up quick: The department’s narrative surrounding the incident faces formidable scrutiny after police have provided inconsistent accounts of other recent police shootings, forcing officials to walk back their initial version of events.
On Tuesday, law enforcement released surveillance video of the incident to combat speculation surrounding the circumstances of the shooting. Police also identified Raheem Hall, 33, a six-year department veteran, as the officer who fatally shot Spencer. The department said it would not publicly confirm the wounded officer’s name without his consent, as he’s considered a victim.
What happens next: Criminal and administrative investigations are underway. District Attorney Larry Krasner said Tuesday that he would be able to speak about the incident in more detail within 90 days.
Keep reading for the latest developments in this case, and more on what we know and don’t know.
What you should know today
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker says school funding will be front and center as she builds Philadelphia’s budget.
After a nine-day outage due to a ransomware attack, Bucks County officials said “core functionality” was restored to the county’s 911 computer-aided dispatch system on Tuesday.
Former Chief Inspector Carl Holmes is entitled to some back pay from when he was off the police force as a result of being charged with sexually assaulting three officers, according to a newly released arbitration decision.
A former SEPTA manager admitted Tuesday that he extorted bribes of cash, Barbra Streisand tickets and pricey hotel stays in exchange for steering contracts worth millions to a company overseeing maintenance for the transit agency’s surveillance cameras.
A Philadelphia jury has delivered a $2.25 billion verdict against agricultural giant Monsanto, deciding in favor of a Pennsylvania man who contended he developed cancer as a result of using the company’s weed killer, Roundup.
A Philly woman has been criminally charged with disrupting a Frontier Airlines flight in November in which she allegedly exposed herself and threatened to kill other passengers.
Say No More, a bar that opened in Kensington in late December to much buzz, is parting ways with its co-owner who was accused of attacking a woman in a domestic dispute.
The Flyers’ Carter Hart has been charged with sexual assault in connection to an alleged incident following a 2018 Hockey Canada banquet, his lawyers said.
Flush with a million dollars and seeking independence, the Daily Pennsylvanian is moving from its “Pink Palace” Penn HQ to a rowhouse where the world’s richest man once resided.
The student-run independent news organization, which reports on the University of Pennsylvania, will mark its final separation from the Ivy League school its reporters cover once they move out of their offices and into a six-bedroom rowhouse with a history.
The home at 3721 Chestnut St. is one of the places where classmates and biographers say Elon Musk lived as a student. He attended Penn from 1992 through 1995 and graduated with degrees in physics and economics.
Long time coming: The move comes 40 years after student and alumni backers of what was then a daily print newspaper — now a print weekly with continuously updated reports online — separated from the university, and set up a fund to support independent operations, including an eventual new home.
Read on for more on the local legend and what’s next for the DP.
🧠 Trivia time
Spoiler alert! On the second episode of ABC’s The Bachelor, we lost yet another Philadelphia ambassador, bringing our count from three down to one.
Of the departed, which one is from Philly?
A) Lauren Hollinger
B) Erika Cardenas
C) Marlena Haddad
D) Taylor Weins
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we're...
🦐 Reading: Craig LaBan’s review of Loch Bar, a new high-end seafood spot on Broad Street.
🪩 Checking out: Philly’s new nightclub, Midnight & the Wicked.
🥺 Adoring: The local puppies (and some kittens) starring in the Puppy Bowl.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Philly pub kingpin and famous Irishman
CAFE SURGERY
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Stacy Stone who correctly guessed Tuesday’s answer: Cry Baby Pasta.
Photo of the day
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