Philly Cop Dies, Another Critically Injured in Shooting
By Sandra Rhodes (/journals/sandra-rhodes)
A Philadelphia police officer is dead and another is critically injured after they were shot early Saturday as they responded to a report of an armed man in the western part of the city.
The surviving officer remains hospitalized in critical condition, affiliate FOX 29 Philadelphia reported.
Shane Seiber, 40, a 10-year veteran of the force, died at the hospital after the shooting.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said Seiber's wife and other family members were able to be by his side before he passed.
Seiber leaves behind two children, Bethel said - a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter.
The other officer, a 33-year-old who has five children, was shot 12 times, Bethel said.
It remains unclear which officer died.
"I am so damn proud of the men and women who serve in this department. Consistently, they go into danger, and they give their lives for this job," Bethel told reporters. "And so we ask for those prayers, and we ask for you to support our men and women out there, and what they give for this profession."
Just after 12:20 a.m., officers were dispatched to 140 North 52nd St. following a report of a man with a gun on a porch, Bethel said.
Upon arrival, the officers came under "significant gunfire" once they were on the porch.
Shortly after shots were fired, Bethel said additional officers and a SWAT team discovered the original responding officers on the porch with gunshot wounds.
The suspect fired at two additional officers, Bethel said. The SWAT team was able to locate the man in a tree and take him into custody.
The suspect reportedly ambushed the officers by running down an alley and shooting at them, local outlet WPVI reported.
The suspect’s body identity has not yet been released. The person was found with two handguns and a shotgun, Bethel said. One of the handguns belonged to one of the