Philadelphia police identify woman killed in Germantown rampage
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A suspect in a fatal carjacking, who later fired an AK-47 style assault rifle at police, was shot and killed by officers in Germantown, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
The suspect was identified as Stanley Cochran.
"Yesterday a violent and armed individual began a cycle of events that will forever change the lives of countless people, including a very young, innocent woman whose life was just beginning," said Commissioner Danielle Outlaw.
Sgt. Eric Gripp said this all started when the 29-year-old suspect pointed a rifle at a female employee inside St. Luke's Episcopal Church on the 5400 block of Germantown Avenue around 4 a.m. Thursday and fired at least one shot. She was not hit.
Police said Cochran took the woman's keys, stole her car, and crashed it on Greene Street.
Cochran then allegedly attempted to carjack a passing vehicle and fired a few shots at that car, but the woman driving the car was able to get away unharmed.
The suspect then attempted to carjack a 19-year-old woman in an Infiniti. Police said he opened fire on the woman and she was struck.
Police say those bullets also hit a 19-year-old male passenger in the back. He ran from the car and was taken to the hospital by private vehicle, treated and later released.
Arriving officers found the victim in her car. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Police identified the victim as Skylar Owen.
Responding officers arrived at Greene Street and Chelten Avenue and located Cochran.
Police said they don't believe Cochran was hit at that point and ran north on Greene approaching Rittenhouse. There, he encountered responding officers.
He then pointed his assault rifle at responding officers and fired at least one time at them, striking their car, police said.
The officers exited the police car and returned fire at the suspect.
As the officers were trying to get tactical cover, the suspect entered a police vehicle but could not drive away because the keys were not in the car.
Seconds later the suspect got out of the vehicle and began to walk down Germantown Avenue, police say, still holding the gun.
Police said the officers once again issued orders to drop the weapon. When Cochran did not comply, officers opened fire and he was struck multiple times.
Cochran was taken to Einstein Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
"I can only imagine the officers are scared for their life, as I would be. Yes, I have seen a weapon exactly like that in another officer-involved shooting in September in the 1400 block of Sharpnack Street," said Lt. Jason Hendershot of the Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Unit.
In all, police say four officers fired their weapons. There were no officers injured in the incident. All four officers were wearing body cameras at the time which were recording. That video will be used in the internal investigation.
In a news conference on Friday, police said they received a tip that Cochran could be linked to double homicide in West Oak Lane.
Philadelphia police Lt. Norman Davenport said there is no physical evidence yet linking Cochran to that crime. Davenport said an investigation into that tip continues.
