Police in Philadelphia are searching for a second suspect who took the gun that belonged to a man who shot an officer in North Philly on Friday night. NBC10’s Brian Sheehan has the very latest as the family of the suspect shot and killed by police held a vigil to honor his life on Saturday.
A police officer in Philadelphia was shot in a corner store on North Mascher Street in North Philly just before 9 p.m. on Friday night, according to law enforcement officials.
The officer was taken to a nearby hospital where he is listed in stable condition, police said. He has nine years of experience on the job.
The man who shot the officer was killed by the officer's partner, officials said. The officer who fired back during the incident has been placed on administrative duty.
The family of the gunman who was killed held a vigil outside of the corner store where the shooting happened Saturday evening.
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Fight leads to shooting
Police said that there was some kind of scuffle inside the corner store. When the officers tried to break it up, that's when the suspect shot the officer in the leg.
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Police say his partner returned fire and shot the suspect who died from his injuries.
The suspect has been identified by his family as Alexander Spencer. His family told NBC10 that they disagree with police about what happened.
Spencer's cousin explained that he was just playing a gambling machine and believes the officer did or said something to provoke him.
"He takes care of his kids. He's never just out getting in trouble. He do what he gotta do with his family just simple as that, and it's not right what they did," his cousin said.
Mayor Cherelle Parker, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel and police officials held a press conference late Friday night where they provided more information about what happened.
"There are too many guns in our city," Mayor Parker said.
Second suspect wanted for taking the gun
Now, police said they are searching for a second suspect who they believe picked up Spencer's handgun and ran from the scene.
Police issued a warning that the man is armed and dangerous. He is being considered a person of interest in this investigation.
Philadelphia police posted photos of the man on social media on Saturday.
In the pictures, he is seen wearing a red zip-up hoodie with ripped jeans and a black baseball cap.
Reaction to the shooting
Neighbors are feeling rattled after the shooting at the corner store.
Eddie Caban has lived next to the store for 14 years.
"Anybody can buy a gun and they don't even do no mental research of that person, see if their mental health is fine," Caban said.
This is the first officer shot in the line of duty during new Mayor Cherelle Parker's term.
NBC10 caught up with Mayor Parker while she was at a rally to build new sports fields at FDR Park on Saturday.
"We need to make sure that our law enforcement officers have every legal and constitutional tool available that they can employ the use of together," Parked said.
Her solution to tackling Philly's violence includes addressing root issues like poverty and education. She's also looking at solutions by giving young people more activities to keep them out of trouble.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel sent out a message on X, formally known as Twitter that read:
"Tonight, one of our brave @PPD24Dist officers was shot by someone who had no business carrying a gun on our streets. This is another reminder of the dangers our cops face every time they suit up to serve this great city. I'm proud of them, proud to wear this uniform, and proud to stand alongside these men and women. We're incredibly grateful that he will recover physically, and we thank each and every one of you for your support."
NBC10's Aaron Baskerville was there Friday night and took to social media to share what the scene looked like outside of the hospital.
This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
