Philadelphia officers targeted, 7 people shot in violent night

ByBob Brooks WPVI logo
Monday, September 19, 2016
VIDEO: Violent weekend
Seven people were shot and two police officers were targeted in another violent night in Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Seven people were shot and two police officers were targeted in another violent night in Philadelphia.

Police say around 11:47 p.m. Saturday a group of people walked by a patrolling officer on the 800 block of South Street in South Philadelphia.

As they passed by the officer, police say he detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the group.

The officer then called out to the group, at which point a man fled eastbound on South Street then northbound on Darien Street.

The officer pursued the 19-year-old man on foot, with his partner following at a short distance behind.

Police say the man then ran into a driveway on the 500 block of Darien Street.

As the officer approached the driveway, the man fired at least three rounds in the direction of the officer.

The suspect shot out the back window of a SUV, the side view mirror and the side of a home, police say.

Paul Wainberg owns the SUV.

"The back windshield is gone, and there's like the side mirror, there's a couple bullet holes. Too many guns on the street," said Wainberg of South Philadelphia.

Neighbors heard the shots ring out.

"Sounded like an M-80 going off, like a really loud fire cracker, but it sounded like it was in your house," said Aaron Picht of Queen Village.

Police say the officer took cover, and was uninjured.

The officer then relayed a description of the man to police radio.

Moments later, South Street officers located the man hiding in the rear yard.

He was taken into custody without incident.

"Miraculously police did not discharge their weapons during this confrontation," said Philadelphia Police Capt. Drew Techner.

The 19-year-old was transported to Methodist Hospital for treatment for a severe sprain to his right ankle that was the result of jumping over fences of the rear yards of homes on the 500 block of Darien Street.

This comes just after a rampage shooting in West Philadelphia where Police Sgt. Sylvia Young was ambushed in her car and shot at 18 times.

That suspect was killed by police, but not before he shot another officer in the leg.

Police did not fire a shot during Sunday morning's incident.

But the weekend violence only continued.

Around 3 a.m. Sunday, officers were called to 15th and Market streets in Center City.

Police say a 22-year-old man was shot in the arm.

He was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital in stable condition.

Another man was shot 10 times and three women were injured outside a nightclub in Port Richmond.

It happened around 3:43 a.m. in the parking lot of the Castor Club.

Police say there was a confrontation between several men in the parking lot.

They say a man walked away, got into a vehicle, and drove toward the group of people.

Shots were fired from the car, striking a 22-year-old man 10 times. He was taken to to Temple University Episcopal Hospital and then to Temple University Hospital where he is critical.

Two 23-year-old women and a 29-year-old woman are in stable condition at Temple.

Police were called to another shooting around a half hour later in Hunting Park.

Authorities say it happened around 4:30 a.m. on the 3700 block of North Broad Street.

A 44-year-old man and a man in his 50s were sitting in a car.

The driver of the car was speaking with a friend when police say at least two other males approached the vehicle on the passenger side.

Police say they tried to rob the two men sitting in the car.

They say at least one of the suspects fired shots striking both victims in the car.

The 44-year-old man was shot in the arm and shoulder, the other man was shot in the head.

During the shooting, the friend who was talking to the driver fired at the two suspects before they fled eastbound onto Erie Avenue in a red Cadillac.

Both shooting victims were taken to Temple University Hospital.

The 44-year-old male is listed in stable condition. The male in his 50s is in critical condition.

No arrests have been made in these three shootings.