Disturbed teen shot, arrested in burglary
Cops say he stabbed self, turned on them
Police responding yesterday to a South Philadelphia rowhouse break-in found a teenager who began stabbing himself in the chest before lunging at the officers, who shot and wounded him, police said.
The incident began about 2 a.m. at what turned out to be the suspect's grandparents' house on Gerritt Street near Philip, when police received a 9-1-1 call of a burglary in progress, according to Lt. Frank Vanore, a police spokesman.
"When police officers arrived, they observed a male in the house through a window and they asked him to open the door and he refused," Vanore said.
The male was later identified as Patrick McMurtrie, 18, of Turnersville, N.J.
After McMurtrie refused to open the door, cops entered the home and saw him sitting on the couch, talking on the phone and stabbing himself in the chest, police said.
"Officers heard him on the phone saying, 'It's time for me to die' and 'I'm going to die now,' " Vanore said.
McMurtrie then charged at the officers with the knife, Vanore said.
One officer fired twice, hitting McMurtrie once in the face area, Vanore said.
McMurtrie was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in critical condition, where he was later upgraded to stable, Vanore said.
McMurtrie's grandparents, identified by a neighbor as Jack and Marie McMurtrie, were not home at the time of the incident.
Vanore said that investigators had spoken with McMurtrie's grandparents and learned that he wasn't supposed to be in the house.
"He did not have permission to be in the house and he did make forced entry, so he will be charged," Vanore said.
Vanore said that McMurtrie kicked in a second-floor window to break into the home.
Larraine Gurney, the grandparents' next-door neighbor, said she awoke when she heard gunshots yesterday morning.
"I think the whole thing stinks; my back door is completely busted out," said Gurney, who believes the suspect may have mistaken her house for his grandparents'.
The officer who fired his weapon will be placed on administrative duty pending outcome of an Internal Affairs investigation.
McMurtrie faces charges of aggravated assault, burglary and related offenses for the incident, police said.
McMurtrie's family could not be reached for comment yesterday. *
