Investigators identified a man who was shot and killed by police after he allegedly carjacked a victim at gunpoint, aimed his weapon at officers and led police on a chase through West Philadelphia.
The ordeal began Sunday evening along the 5400 block of Chancellor Street. A woman called police to report a domestic disturbance involving 47-year-old Jonathan Corbin, officials said. Corbin had allegedly pulled out a gun and fired it inside the home.
A man who lived nearby told investigators he heard the gunshot while inside his home. He then spotted Corbin inside his friend’s vehicle, police said. Corbin then allegedly pointed a gun at both the man and his friend, demanding their belongings.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
“I can tell that he was mentally ill. Something was off with him because I offered him money to start," the carjacking victim told NBC10. “I could just tell that he wasn’t paying attention to me. And I just took a chance. And I just jumped out the truck and started running.”
Corbin then tried to fire his weapon but was unable to, police said.
“When the gun jammed, he ran up closer to me," the victim said. “I had my hands in the air and was telling him ‘What are you doing, just calm down, calm down.' He just wouldn’t calm down.”
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
A 25-year-old officer with two years on the force, a 29-year-old officer with six years on the force, and 34-year-old sergeant with 10 years on the force, all with the 18th District, arrived at the scene. Corbin allegedly pointed his gun at the officers, prompting the 25-year-old officer to fire his own weapon. Corbin then fled the scene in the vehicle, officials said.
Corbin led police on a chase through West Philadelphia, investigators said. The chase ended on 52nd Street and Woodland Avenue where Corbin exited the vehicle and fled on foot toward an empty lot, according to police. The pursuing officers noticed Corbin was armed. The 29-year-old officer and the police sergeant then fired their weapons.
At some point during Sunday night’s ordeal, Corbin had been shot, investigators said. They have not yet determined if he was shot during the first or second confrontation with police, however. Corbin was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. that night. Police also recovered a weapon, a Taurus 9mm, from the scene.
Philadelphia Police, Internal Affairs and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office are all investigating the incident. The two officers and the sergeant who were involved have all been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation. None of the officers or any other civilians were hurt during the incident.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
