A Philadelphia police officer likely needed stitches to his face after a suspect from a previous knifepoint drugstore robbery violently resisted arrest during a North Philadelphia pursuit.
“The officer received a large laceration to his nose,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. “He was bleeding heavily.”
The incident began when a security guard at the Rite Aid at North Broad Street and Susquehanna Avenue spotted a man who appeared to be shoplifting around 1:15 a.m. Friday, Small said.
When the guard approached the man, the suspect pulled out a knife. The security guard backed off and called police.
About 45 minutes later, officers spotted a man matching the robbery suspect’s description more than half mile away in the area of West Tucker and North 12th Street and called it in.
The suspect then darted off on foot. One officer lost some of his equipment while giving chase, Small said.
The suspect briefly got away before being spotted again near a vacant lot along North 12th Street, police said. A violent struggle then ensued until officers were able to subdue the suspect.
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During the struggle, the original pursuing officer was struck in the nose. He needed to have his cut addressed and could need stitches at the hospital, Small said.
The Rite Aid security guard positively identified the suspect.
The suspect was not injured in the struggle, Small said. He is expected to be charged with robbery, assault on officers and related counts.
Correction: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the location where officers initially came in contact with the suspect after police updated that location.
