On May 9th, Philadelphia police officers were responding to the 2000 block of East Monmouth in Kensington for a report of a man with a gun selling drugs. Police say when the officers arrived, they spotted a man fitting the description - 19-year-old Albert Purnell.
Police say they asked the man to stop but instead he reached for a 357 magnum and they shot him. The man then ran down the block and one of the officers fired another shot through the police cruiser's window. Purnell then ran into the home of people he did not know in the 2000 block of East Birch.
Witness Whitney Murray tells Action News what happened next, "He came in the house, well he kicked the door open, he came in the house and looked at us and sat on the couch."
Whitney's sister Michelle says, "Two seconds later, the cops came. Bust in the door, one cop went straight to the back, the other cop did all (imitates cop with gun) his little motion to check who was around and says, 'Put the gun down, Put the gun down!'"
Whitney Murray went on to explain, "They said, 'Put the gun down! Put the gun down!' His hands is up like showing them, 'I don't have no gun in my hand!' And they still shot him."
"He did not have no gun at all," said Michelle. "He just looked like he wanted to get out the way."
Michelle and Whitney, who was holding her 10-month-old baby at the time of the shooting, say they did not know Albert Purnell or his family.
The victim's family has hired attorney Robert Mozenter to look into the matter. Purnell's mother, Tracy Murray (no relation to Whitney and Michelle Murray) tells us, "I'm very upset. My son was executed and I want justice."
Purnell's father, Albert Sr. says, "I'm just devastated and I'm hurt and deeply pained."
The parents say their son was not perfect, he had been in trouble with the law in the past for possession of marijuana and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He had recently graduated from a school for teens with disciplinary problems. Even so, they never knew him to fool around with guns.
Purnell was the father of a 15 month old baby girl.
The National Action Network says the shooting took place amid growing tensions between police and residents in crime-plagued black neighborhoods.
Greg Brinkley of the National Action Network says, "It is our intention at some point to bring the Rev. AL Sharpton here. He's very concerned about what is happening."
The 24th district officers have not been charged with a crime, but have been placed on desk duty as is routine while the matter is reviewed by internal affairs. The District Attorney's Office says it's also investigating. There has been no comment from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
