Police in Philadelphia said that the man who was seen walking around South Philadelphia on Wednesday with a rifle was actually carrying a BB gun when he was shot by an officer.
The man who was shot by police while walking around with a rifle in South Philadelphia on Wednesday was actually carrying a BB gun, according to officials.
This all unfolded on March 19 just before 11 a.m. when officers with the city's Sheriff's office along with a Licenses and Inspections employee visited a property on the 1900 block of Morris Street for an inspection.
According to Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore, a 36-year-old man answered the door while armed with a rifle equipped with a scope.
"He came to the door. He did not let them enter. And then, he exited and started to walk away from the property," Vanore said.
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He walked, with the firearm in his hand, from the 1900 block of Morris Street, south on 18th Street as "numerous uniformed officers responded to the scene," according to investigators.
He then headed east on Moore Street to the 1600 block near Chadwick Street where he encountered officers calling for him to drop the weapon, Vanore said.
At that point, the man turned to face the officers and one officer fired their own weapon, striking the man on his right side, according to investigators.
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"He was walking with the firearm. He wasn't stopped anywhere so, he was a danger," Vanore said. "So, they were doing everything they can to surround and isolate him. Our SWAT unit was en route. It just happened very quickly and the officers that were here took the necessary action to keep everyone else in the area safe."
The man was taken to the hospital where he was listed in critical condition, Vanore said.
No officers were injured in this incident, officials said.
In an update on Friday, a spokesperson with the Philadelphia Police Department said that when the Crime Scene Unit looked at the man's weapon, it was found to be a black airsoft-style BB gun.
The officer who fired his weapon is 46 years old and a 17-year veteran of the force. He has been placed on administrative duty during the investigation.
