What to Know
- Philadelphia police officers shot and killed a man, later identified as 42-year-old Michael Hwang, after they came under fire Wednesday night while responding to a domestic violence call at a Northeast Philadelphia home.
- Three police officers were shot by Hwang, officials said.
- The incident began after some sort of argument between Hwang, his 12-year-old son and the boy's uncle. Police said the Hwang shot his son's uncle before the deadly shootout with officers.
A family fight inside a Northeast Philadelphia home ended in a deadly shootout on Wednesday night when police officers shot and killed a father who allegedly fired at officers after shooting another man in his home. Three police officers were injured by gunfire.
"It's not normal to (take) gunfire upon arriving on a location," acting Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Stanford said.
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The deadly incident was sparked by an argument inside a home along the 7500 block of Whitaker Avenue in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood, Stanford said.
Philadelphia police responded just after 7 p.m.
Stanford addressed the media late Wednesday night. He said a preliminary police investigation found that a 12-year-old boy was playing video games when an argument occurred between the boy's uncle and his father, later identified as 42-year-old Michael Hwang. The argument escalated when Hwang obtained a firearm, police said.
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The boy and his uncle went upstairs and Hwang followed, shooting the uncle in the face, Stanford said.
The child and his uncle then called 911.
Once that call had been made, Stanford alleged that Hwang went to the front of the home to wait for officers to arrive.
"When officers arrived, he began to immediately fire upon our officers, striking two officers and one sergeant," Stanford said.
Two officers were each shot in the leg and a sergeant was shot in the finger, according to Stanford. The three officers fired back and killed Hwang, investigators said.
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The three officers were taken to a nearby hospital and listed in stable condition. The uncle was taken to a hospital and was listed in critical condition. Another boy and a woman were also inside the home at the time of the shooting but were not hurt.
"Just a tragic situation all the way around," Stanford said.
Investigators said Hwang was wearing a ballistic vest and was armed with a 40 caliber Glock pistol, loaded with eleven live rounds in an extended magazine with a 22 round capacity underneath the right side of his body at the time of the shooting. Police also said they recovered two loaded magazines from Hwang's back pants pocket.
Skyforce10 was over the scene where a large police presence could be seen working the area. Traffic was being redirected at a nearby intersection. Dozens of evidence markers could be seen on the street.
The entire situation left neighbors in the area on edge. They called the area "quiet" until recently.
"It's very alarming," Ariana Rojas said.
“I thank them for their bravery and their desire to do this,” second-term Democratic Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney told reporters.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro echoed the mayor's thoughts on the bravery of the police officers. "We are safer for your service -- and we are grateful," the first-term Democratic governor said.
“Our brave and dedicated officers continue to amaze me with their courage to run toward gunfire," Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 president John McNesby said. "We’re thankful that our officers will recover from their injuries, and we owe them a debt of gratitude."
One of the officers was released from the hospital Wednesday night, a law enforcement source confirmed with NBC10. A second injured officer was released from the hospital Thursday afternoon while the third officer remains hospitalized.
Investigators said the first officer who was shot is 32-years-old and a 4-year veteran of the department. The second officer is 34-years-old and a 6-year veteran. The sergeant is 37-years-old and a 17-year veteran.
An investigation into this incident, officials said, is ongoing.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
