One police officer was killed and another was badly wounded early Saturday, when a man ambushed them on the porch of a house in West Philadelphia, police officials said. The suspect, who continued to fire at police as more officers responded to the scene, was eventually captured and taken into custody.
The officer who was killed, Shane Seiber, 40, leaves a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter, Kevin J. Bethel, the Philadelphia police commissioner, told reporters in a briefing. He was on the force for 10 years.
“He fought valiantly, but he lost his life today,” Mr. Bethel said. “His wife was able to be at his side before he passed, as well as his family.”
The other officer, who has not been named, was shot 12 times. He is in stable condition at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Mr. Bethel said. He is 33 years old and a father of five.
In a news briefing early Saturday, Mr. Bethel said that authorities received a call at 12:22 a.m. that a man with a gun was on the porch of a house in West Philadelphia. The two officers were dispatched and arrived at the location a little more than 30 minutes later. When the officers stepped onto the porch, they took “significant fire,” Mr. Bethel said.
As the two were taken to the hospital, police officers and members of the SWAT team were sent to the scene. The suspect, who has not been named, continued to fire at police but was eventually captured after he climbed up a tree. Police recovered a shotgun and two handguns, one of which the man had taken from one of the officers who had been shot on the porch.
“I am so damn proud of the men and women who serve in this department,” Mr. Bethel said, his voice shaking. “Consistently, they go into danger, and they give their lives for this job.”
Over the course of the morning, scores of Philadelphia police officers, firefighters and other emergency workers lined up outside the hospital in a show of respect.
City, state and federal officials expressed their grief.
In a statement, Cherelle Parker, the mayor of Philadelphia, said the city was grieving with Officer Seiber’s family. Senator John Fetterman said the shooting was “a stark reminder of the dangerous job our law enforcement has in keeping us all safe.”
In a post on social media, Gov. Josh Shapiro said that he was ordering flags across Pennsylvania to be flown at half-staff.
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