Police shoot, kill man who pointed gun at them

POLICE RESPONDING to several calls about a person with a gun shot and killed an unidentified 33-year-old man in North Philadelphia late Thursday night, after he reportedly pointed a gun at them, police said yesterday.

Chief Inspector Scott Small said two responding officers from the 25th District, headquartered on Whitaker Avenue near Erie, spotted a man matching the description of the man with the weapon at 10th and Ontario streets shortly after 11:30 p.m. He was carrying a .357 Magnum revolver with a long barrel in his waistband, police said.

When the cops approached the man, he pulled the gun out and pointed it at them, Small said. The two officers ordered him to drop it several times before they both fired at him at least three times, hitting him in the chest and legs, police said.

Investigators said that even after the man was shot and dropped to the ground, he refused to drop his weapon and police had to pry the gun out of his hand.

The man was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:03 a.m. Police have not identified the man.

After the incident, a pool of blood and the man's black sneaker marked the spot where he fell. where he fell. Investigators do not believe that he fired at the officers, and they were not injured in the confrontation.

As is standard protocol with police-involved shootings, both officers who fired their weapons were taken to Internal Affairs to give statements and will be placed on administrative duty pending outcome of the investigation. n

Contact Morgan Zalot at 215-854-5928 or zalotm@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @morganzalot. Read her blog PhillyConfidential.com.