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A man accused of shooting six Philadelphia police officers during a standoff that lasted more than seven hours surrendered to police.
SWAT officers shot tear gas into a home on North 15th Street near West Butler Street shortly after midnight in the North Philadelphia neighborhood of Nicetown-Tioga.
The suspect, identified by police as 36-year-old Maurice Hill of Philadelphia, then walked out of the home and was taken into police custody. He was armed at the time, according to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross.
Hill was taken to nearby Temple University Hospital for evaluation. He was released from the hospital and turned over to police Thursday morning.
He is likely to be charged with six counts of attempted murder and aggravated assault, according to his longtime attorney Shaka Johnson.
"There will be a lot of charges," District Attorney Larry Krasner said about what lies ahead for Hill. Krasner added that the charges, which likely will include attempted murder, should be enough to make sure Hill will "never exit jail."
Krasner said Hill is suspected of firing more than 100 rounds during the standoff.
Hill told Johnson via phone around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday that he "wanted to try to figure a way out," the lawyer told NBC Philadelphia.
"He said he wouldn't come out unless I was standing outside because he knows I wouldn't allow anything to happen to him," Johnson said.
Hill has an "extensive" criminal history, according to court records. He also recently became a father again, his attorney said.
The arrest ended a dramatic, hourslong standoff during which six officers were injured by gunfire. A seventh officer was injured in a car accident while responding to the scene. A pedestrian was also injured during that incident.
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Gunfire initially erupted around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday after narcotics officers served a warrant to a home near North 15th and West Butler streets, according to officials.
As officers rushed upstairs, a gunman waiting downstairs with an assault-style weapon fired several rounds through the ceiling. Police returned fire while several officers escaped through windows and doors.
A subsequent standoff between police and the suspected gunman lasted for more than seven hours before he was taken into custody. Negotiations were tense, according to the police commissioner, who took an active role in the response. He later called the move "unorthodox."
The suspected gunman "was hell-bent on doing whatever he was going to do," Ross said Thursday morning.
Krasner was also asked to take part in negotiations with the suspect at the behest of Hill's attorney, he said Thursday. He tried to calm the situation, but took no credit for helping bring a peaceful conclusion to the incident.
Krasner credited police with ending the standoff. He called it "brilliant policing and maybe a little bit of a miracle."
Two Philadelphia police officers and three civilians were trapped inside the row home with the suspected gunman before being safely evacuated by SWAT team members around 10 p.m. Wednesday.
None of the officers suffered life-threatening injuries, Ross said, adding that a bullet grazed the head of one police officer.
"This could have been even more dangerous and volatile were it not for the professionalism of that SWAT unit," Ross said, adding that the team's rescue efforts were "amazing."
The standoff prompted a massive response to the largely residential North Philadelphia neighborhood, which is roughly 2 miles north of Temple University and about 4 miles north of Center City.
Eric Garrity, who lives in a nearby home, captured on surveillance video what appeared to be officers entering a home, the sound of gunfire and one officer crawling out of the home. He went outside to see what was going on, but was told to get back inside and seek shelter, he said.
There were initially conflicting reports about others who may have been taken into police custody in the aftermath of the initial raid. Police initially said at least one person was taken into custody, but Ross later said that he couldn't say with certainty that anyone remained in custody.
Neighbors said they watched in terror as the violent scene unfolded on their block.
"It was like a war - like a scene that you see in war," a resident told NBC10. "The guns, the fire, the noise - it was like bombs going off simultaneously at a time where people are having dinner."
Frantic calls from responding officers were obtained by NBC10 via Broadcastify. Policed pleaded for back-up shortly after the shooting started Wednesday afternoon.
"Officer calls for everything you got. SWAT, long gun," a law enforcement officer can be heard saying on the audio. "I got an officer shot."
Responding officers were seen crouching behind cars, blocking off surrounding streets and surrounding several nearby homes as the firefight unfolded.
Nearby, stunned families and neighbors gathered behind police tape. Several churches and a day care are in the immediate area.
That day care, Precious Babies Learning Academy, serves children as young as 8 weeks old. It was placed on lockdown while some 80 children huddled inside, according to owner Yvonne Thomas-Curry.
"It was reported that all the children are safe, however we still are asking the parents to not come near the scene," she said. "It still is dangerous. Children will remain in shelter in place and safe inside with their teachers."
As Thomas-Curry spoke to NBC10, the children were escorted out of the day care by police. They were reunited with their families at a safe location.
The stunning "firefight," as police described it, gripped the region and garnered national attention.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and President Donald Trump both said they were monitoring the situation.
"Tonight is another reminder of the selfless sacrifice of our law enforcement officers and first responders," Wolf said. "We are praying for a peaceful resolution and the full recovery of all those injured. We must remain committed to combating violence and getting dangerous weapons out of our communities."
Wolf also announced Wednesday night that he would postpone the signing of an executive order to reduce gun violence Thursday to a later date.
During a late Wednesday evening news conference, an emotional Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney pleaded for gun control.
"It's aggravating. It's saddening," he said. "If the state and federal government doesn't want to stand up to the NRA and some other folks, then let us police ourselves. But they preempt us on all kinds of gun control legislation."
Kenney also said that police officers deserve to be protected.
"They don't deserve to be shot at by a guy for four hours with an unlimited supply of weapons and an unlimited supply of bullets," he said. "It's disgusting and we've got to do something about it. And we need to do something about it quickly."
Former Vice President Joe Biden, a Scranton, Pennsylvania, native, tweeted his response to the shooting:
"Dr. Biden and I send our prayers to the police officers injured today in Philadelphia, and to their families who wake up every day knowing that their loved ones are walking into harm's way when they put on the badge. We're grateful for the selfless work they do to keep us safe."
District Attorney Larry Krasner and U.S. Attorney William McSwain were among several local leaders who arrived at the hospital shortly after injured officers were taken for medical treatment.
