Thursday, August 15, 2019

UPDATE: Philadelphia suspect in custody after hours-long ordeal that left 6 officers wounded





The suspect linked to Wednesday's hours-long standoff in Philadelphia surrendered to authorities just after midnight Thursday, exiting the residence with his hands in the air and with a police light shining on him, surrounded by a cloud of tear gas.

The dramatic shootout in Philadelphia stretched on for hours as six officers were shot -- and two officers and three hostages were later freed, apparently unhurt.

The suspect was identified by unnamed police sources as Maurice Hill, 36, of Philadelphia.

Hill has a long record of gun-related convictions and of attempting to evade arrest, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Shaka Mzee Johnson, the attorney who most recently represented Hill, also confirmed to the Inquirer that Hill was linked to the standoff.

One of the wounded officers reportedly was grazed in the head in the ongoing shootout in the city's Nicetown neighborhood that began on Wednesday afternoon.

Three officers were rushed to Temple University Hospital, officials told Philadelphia's FOX 29.

Three other officers were taken to Einstein Hospital, at least one of them was shot in an arm. All six officers were in stable condition and treated for non-life-threatening injuries before doctors released them, Philadelphia police Sgt. Eric Gripp said.

Two other officers, including a police sergeant, were injured in an accident related to the emergency response and were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Ross said two officers with the Narcotics Strike Force were serving a warrant at the multifamily home -- in what may have been a drug-related offense -- when things "went awry almost immediately," and the shooter opened fire at the home. The two officers were barricaded in separate rooms with several hostages.

After five hours of enduring consistent gunfire, the two officers were safely evacuated, according to Gripp.