A teenager was shot and killed after he allegedly pulled out a gun and opened fire on four plainclothes officers inside an unmarked police vehicle in South Philadelphia.
The officers were conducting surveillance in the area of 18th and Barbara streets shortly after 7:20 p.m. Tuesday when they spotted two teen boys on bicycles. Investigators said the officers noticed at least one of the teens was in possession of a gun.
When the officers turned on the emergency lights of their unmarked vehicle, the teen allegedly opened fire. A bullet went through the passenger side rear window of the car and shattered glass went into the eyes of one of the officers.
At least two of the officers then ran out of the car and chased after the two teens. The officers fired multiple times and shot one of the teens at least once in the chest. That teen was taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after 7:30 p.m. Police have not yet revealed his identity or age.
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The second teen, who police say is 17 years of age, was taken into custody.
The officer who injured his eyes was also taken to the hospital in stable condition. None of the other officers were injured.
Investigators did not go into detail in regards to what occurred during the foot chase prior to the shooting or reveal whether the officers gave the teen any commands to drop the gun before firing. Investigators did say however that all four officers were wearing badges and vests that identified them as police at the time of the incident.
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The officers involved will be placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
