A man holding a knife was in critical condition after being tasered and shot by Philadelphia Police in Fishtown Sunday night, according to authorities.
It all began around 11:15 Sunday night when an unidentified man allegedly began vandalizing property and tried to force his way into a home on the 1100 block of Shackamaxon Street, according to detectives investigating the case.
The 40-year-old man was brandishing a large knife, investigators said.
"I think he was maybe on something," said Debbie Giangrecco.
Giangrecco and her husband say the man ripped a light post out of the sidewalk in front of their home and turned on the water before falling to the ground.
The man, described as being about 6-foot tall, 300 pounds, got up and began to kick at the door of a home around the corner on the 200 block of Widely Street, according to police.
"He just kept going up and down, up and down," said resident Kate, who asked we only use her first name. "He broke the stove trying to blow us up, filling the house with gas and lighting it."
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He entered the home -- officers say the homeowners don’t know the man -- where he ripped a stove out, ripped out the phone line and pushed two women who were trying to protect kids in the house.
The women in the home called the cops as they say they tried to keep him distracted.
The man never said anything and never came at the women with a knife but he did stab himself multiple times, the witnesses said.
When police arrived on the scene the suspect allegedly ran out of the home and towards the officers. Officers, fearing for their safety, were forced to Taser and shoot the suspect, according to investigators.
"He went after the police he wouldn't put the knife down," said Giangrecco. "He was crazy he had the strength of like 10 Hercules."
The suspect was taken to the Hahnemann University Hospital where he was listed in critical condition Monday
No officers were hurt.
Investigators say there was some damage to the block. It’s still unclear why the man was acting strangely, according to police.
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