Man accused of deliberately driving SUV into Philadelphia police building identified
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A man deliberately drove his SUV into the Philadelphia Police Department's 2nd District headquarters Tuesday afternoon, according to Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, narrowly missing several people who were standing inside.
Police identified the suspect on Wednesday as 26-year-old Dieufort Joly of the 2100 block of Glendale Avenue.
Joly is charged with six counts of Aggravated Assault, six counts of Simple Assault, six counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person, one count of Causing/Risking Catastrophe, one count of Institutional Vandalism, and one count of Possession of an Instrument of Crime.
The crash happened around 1:40 p.m. at the building on the 7300 block of Castor Avenue in the city's Rhawnhurst neighborhood.
"It is clearly an absolute deliberate act," Bethel said during a news conference.
Six people were inside the lobby waiting for police assistance when the vehicle crashed into the building, five of whom were injured. None of the victims suffered serious injuries.
According to Bethel, officers had responded earlier in the day, around 11:45 a.m., to a disturbance involving Joly and his father.
At some point later, police say Joly was seen driving southbound on Castor Avenue before making a hard right turn and crashing into the district headquarters.
Video obtained by Action News shows the driver plowing into the police station after people were standing nearby.
A witness said the driver tried to run from the scene, but he was tackled and arrested.
The Action Cam was on the scene as crews worked to assess the situation.
Crews later boarded up the damaged building and reopened the road. Despite the damage, Bethel said the district continues to serve the community.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene.
Clarence Armstrong Jr. said he was in the bathroom when the SUV hit the building.
"I feel pretty lucky," he said. "I hear the loudest boom and shattering is one of the most startling sounds I think I ever heard in my life. Metal and glass everywhere, and still some moans and screams from people."
Another witness, Tiffany Ilconich, said she saw officers take the suspect into custody.
"They tackled him to the ground, and put him in cuffs and took him," she said. "I was scared."
Police said the bomb squad inspected the vehicle before it was towed for further investigation. Bethel said officers executed search warrants after the crash and are working with the FBI.
Armstrong said the incident left him shaken.
"For somebody to just run into a police station with no regard for who can be there, kids, men, women or police officers, is pretty sad, and these people really do need some kind of help."
