At least six police officers were shot Wednesday afternoon in Philadelphia’s Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood, according to police.
The officers suffered non-deadly wounds and were rushed to Temple University Hospital but released later in the evening, police said. A seventh officer was also injured in a car accident.
Two suspects are in custody. One of the suspects continued to exchange gunfire with police for hours while barricaded inside a building before being taken into custody. Police described the situation, which was “active and ongoing” for over seven hours, as a “firefight.”
The gunman reportedly used an AK-47 to fire through a ceiling above which police officers were on the next floor. Two officers remained trapped inside the house for about five hours after the shooting started before being freed by a SWAT team.
Shooting situation ACTIVE and ONGOING on 3700 15th St. Avoid Area. Several PPD Officers have been injured. Updates will be provided as received
— Eric Gripp (@PPDEricGripp) August 14, 2019
The shooting began around 4:30pm on the 3700 block of North 15th Street where police were originally serving a narcotics warrant, law enforcement said.
“That went awry almost immediately,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross. “It’s nothing short of a miracle that we don’t have multiple officers killed today.”
Video of the area where the standoff between police and the shooter is ongoing showed a massive police presence, putting north Philadelphia into gridlock.
Police spent hours pleading with with the second gunman to surrender.
“He has the highest assurance he’s not going to be harmed when he comes out,” Ross said.
President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr have been briefed on the situation, according to officials.