"It was just unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was hearing or seeing."
A North Philadelphia woman, who wished to remain unnamed, described the barrage of gunfire she heard overnight near the 1800 block of North Bucknell Street. Her car windows were shot out, and this morning yellow evidence markers remain as a sign of the overnight chaos.
The woman tells us, "It was terrifying because I didn't know if the bullets were going to come inside. Then I was trying to stay in an area where I would be safe. But just the sound, being so close. It was really scary."
Officials say it was around 12:30 a.m. when four police officers were on patrol in an unmarked vehicle when they came across a gun battle that was already in progress.
Officers allegedly ordered the men to drop their weapons, but the men refused and kept shooting. That is when the officers were forced to open fire.
A witness recounts what she heard, saying, "I was hearing the police officers saying to whoever or whatever, to, 'Stop, stop. Put it down. Stop.'"
One of the gunman managed to escape in a car, which was later found dumped nearby on the 2500 block of Page Street. A bullet hole was in the vehicle, and investigators recovered two guns.
A second suspect was hit by a bullet and taken to the hospital, where he was treated and then released into police custody. A third suspect was also taken into custody.
The shootout took place just feet from a sign denoting this corner as a gun-free zone.
Michael Mulhern of North Philadelphia tells Action News, "Young bucks around here they just don't care anymore. You know what I mean? They don't have respect."
Police are still trying to determine if the suspect was injured by officers or one of the other suspects.
No officers were hurt in the exchange.
