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Gunman Refuses to Pay Cab Fare, Fires Shots at Taxi

Surveillance video from an Overbrook bar shows the gunman who refused to pay a cab driver and then fired a shot at the taxi as it drove away from a West Philly street, police said.

The suspect hailed the cab near 56th and Market streets around 1:30 a.m. on April 1 and asked the driver to make multiple stops, including one at the Good Times Bar located at 5527 Lancaster Ave., before dropping him off at his final destination about a block away, officials said.

Next he exited the taxi without paying, leading the cabbie to drive alongside him for several blocks to ask him to pay the fare, police said.

Authorities said the suspect then pulled a handgun and pointed it at the driver, firing a single gunshot as the taxi sped away from him.

The shot missed the cab and the driver.

Police described the gunman as a black man about 20- to 25-years-old, with a light complexion, a thin build and standing about 5-feet 11-inches tall. He was wearing a dark colored Champion hooded sweatshirt, tan pants and brown shoes, officials said.

Anyone with information on the suspect's identity or the crime is urged to contact Philadelphia Police at 215-686-TIPS.

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