One officer was shot 12 times and another three times after responding to a report of an armed man early Saturday.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — Two Philadelphia police officers were critically wounded early Saturday after authorities said they came under heavy gunfire while responding to a report of an armed man on a porch in West Philadelphia. Police later took a suspect into custody.
The officers, both assigned to the 19th Police District, were dispatched shortly after 12:20 a.m. Oct. 10 to the 100 block of North 52nd Street. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said a 33-year-old officer was shot 12 times and a 40-year-old officer was shot three times. Both were taken by police to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center for emergency treatment.
Bethel said officers had received a report of a man with a gun on a porch. The two officers arrived about 30 minutes later and came under significant gunfire after approaching the property. Authorities have not publicly identified the wounded officers.
After the shooting, the gunman fled through an alley and fired several times at other responding officers, according to police. Those officers were not struck. Police flooded the area as the search expanded, and officials temporarily locked down the surrounding neighborhood while officers and a SWAT team searched for the suspect.
Police eventually located the suspect in a tree and took him into custody. Authorities said three firearms were recovered in connection with the incident: two handguns and a shotgun. Bethel said one of the handguns belonged to one of the wounded officers. Investigators have not publicly explained how the suspect came into possession of the officer’s weapon.
The 33-year-old officer who was struck 12 times is a father of five, Bethel said. The 40-year-old officer who was shot three times is a father of two. City officials described both officers as badly wounded as doctors treated them at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
Mayor Cherelle Parker met with members of the officers’ families at the hospital and spoke publicly about the dangers officers face while working in the city. Bethel also praised members of the Police Department and asked the public to keep the wounded officers and their families in their thoughts.
The shooting prompted a large police response near 52nd Street and surrounding blocks. Investigators continued processing the scene Saturday and working to determine the sequence of events before and during the gunfire. Authorities had not announced a motive or publicly detailed what happened before police received the initial report of an armed man.
The suspect’s identity had not been officially released in the initial police briefing, and authorities had not announced criminal charges. The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, reported that the person suspected of opening fire was a Philadelphia Water Department employee, but city officials had not publicly confirmed that identification at the time of the report.
The investigation remained active Saturday as authorities worked to establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting and monitor the officers’ conditions. Police had not released the officers’ names or announced additional injuries among responding personnel.
Author note: Last updated October 10, 2026.