Philadelphia standoff started with narcotics warrant
A man accused of shooting six Philadelphia police officers and prompting an hourslong standoff Wednesday shouldn’t have had a gun, the city’s top prosecutor said.
“I think it’s clear this man should not have been on the streets,” Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Thursday.
“He was a felon before he was handling this weapon.”
Authorities say Maurice Hill, 36, shot and wounded six officers after police attempted to serve a narcotics warrant on a row house Wednesday afternoon.
As they got toward the kitchen area, a gunman fired multiple rounds, forcing some officers to escape through the window, authorities said.
Others, including two officers, initially were trapped in the house with the gunman, prompting a SWAT team rescue.
As the shooter shot at police outside, bullets ricocheted on the pavement, sending officers crouching behind police cars.
The suspect surrendered outside almost eight hours after the standoff began.
“We do know this guy came actually outside with a gun … so this could have been even more dangerous and volatile if not for the professionalism of SWAT” officers, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said.
Mayor Jim Kenney said he’s thankful no lives were lost, but is “a little angry about someone having all that weaponry and all that firepower.”
“But we’ll get to that another day,” the mayor said. “It’s about the officers and their families right now.”
The six officers shot have been released from a hospital, police said.
