A man who had voluntarily accepted to be taken to a psychiatric hospital by the Philadelphia Police grabbed the weapon of an officer outside the facilities and wounded him before another officer triumphant him fatally, said the city police commissioner, noting that the officer’s wounded antibala vest save him from a serious injury.
The shooting occurred shortly before 1 PM at Friends hospital, said Commissioner Kevin Bethel. He said that the two city officers had met the man on Thursday after being seen walking in traffic, and agreed to go to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.
The man was taken to the hospital in a police truck, but was not handcuffed because he had agreed to voluntarily, Bethel said. While the officers talked to him after they arrived, the man became combative and attacked one of the officers.
An officer shot a taser from the man, who continued to fight while the three men fell to the ground. The man took the weapon of an officer and began shooting, hurting that officer, who was beaten at the base of his vest.
The other officer shot the man several times, and took him to another hospital where he then died from his wounds. His name has not been released.
The second officer did not shot the fight, but suffered an unleashed injury. Both officers were treated in a third hospital and then were discharged.
Noting that the wounded officer was shot “very close to the bottom of his vest,” said the mayor of Philadelphia, Cherelle Parker, the incident could have been much worse.
“But for an inch we could be here in a different set of circumstances and facts,” said Parker.
