PHILADELPHIA, PA – A routine traffic stop in Philadelphia took a deadly turn when, according to officials, the driver reversed into a police cruiser, trapping the lone officer against a wall and prompting him to discharge his firearm multiple times into the vehicle.
The driver managed to flee the scene but was later discovered in the vehicle, suffering from gunshot wounds. He succumbed to his injuries shortly after being found.
The incident unfolded around 7 p.m. Thursday. The officer, patrolling solo, attempted to halt the vehicle. Three bystanders reported seeing the car reverse into the police cruiser. As the officer approached the vehicle on foot, it moved abruptly, pinning him against a nearby wall, as per Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel’s statement.
The officer responded by firing multiple shots into the vehicle. A passenger in the car exited and was held at the scene by the three eye-witnesses as the driver made his escape. The vehicle was later discovered in a nearby alleyway, with the wounded driver inside. He had sustained gunshot injuries to his head and body and was pronounced dead shortly after being transported to a hospital.
The identities of the driver and the officer involved have not been disclosed. The officer, an eight-year veteran of the force, sustained injuries to both legs and was still in the hospital as of Friday. No other injuries were reported in relation to the incident.
The shooting is currently under investigation.