'My son was not exempt': Philadelphia cop says murdered son had big dreams
Officer Edwenna Ferguson urged those seeking revenge to stand down: "I'm sparing your life. Let them do their job."
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Philadelphia police officer spoke publicly for the first time since the shooting death of her son earlier this week.
Hyram Hill, 23, was killed Monday after 4:30 a.m. on the 1400 block of West Allegheny Avenue.
When police arrived to the scene, they found Hill lying on the highway with gunshot wounds to the chest, arm, stomach and back.
He was taken to Temple University Hospital where he died a short time later.
On Tuesday, Edwenna Ferguson, Hill's grieving mother, said she was vacationing in the Pocono Mountains when she got the worst call of her life.
"I wasn't even able to get to my baby. His father was there. His grandmother was there. His friends and family was there, but his mother couldn't get to him fast enough," said Ferguson, a 17-year veteran of the police department. "Even being a police officer, my son was not exempt."
She said her son had big dreams of playing football before his life was cut short.
"I'm proud of my boy. He wrote his own story. It didn't end the way I wanted it to end or he wanted it to end, but it was his story and he wrote it," she said.
Ferguson put out a plea to anyone seeking revenge: "Let my job do their job. I'm sparing your life. Let them do their job. Everybody stand down please."
"I think so many people out here just want a name for themselves. They do things they don't think about the consequence. They don't think about how many families they hurt," Ferguson added about the violence in the city.
Police believe the shooting may have occurred when the victim parked his car near the intersection of West Allegheny Avenue and Broad Street and briefly got out.
Sources told Action News a witness saw the shooter going through the Hill's pockets after he was shot.
Sources also said a SEPTA bus was in the area at the time of the crime and police are reviewing that video.
"My son did not have a record. My son has never been arrested," said Ferguson.
Hill's girlfriend was seven months pregnant with a baby girl.
He was a graduate of West Catholic Preparatory High School in West Philadelphia and was two semesters shy of graduating from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.
Hill was recently mentoring teenagers in New Castle, Delaware.
A $30,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
"Somebody has information on this case that can lead to an arrest in the homicide of Hyram Hill," said FOP Lodge 5 President John McNesby. "Enough is enough in Philadelphia. We have too many guns and violent offenders on our streets. Our thoughts and prayers remain with this officer's family and friends at this time."
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Anyone with information is asked to please contact police at 215-686-TIPS or the homicide division at 215-686-3334.
This shooting marked Philadelphia's 37th homicide in 2022.
