Two teenagers were arrested in connection to a mob-style attack that injured an off-duty officer, his wife and four others in Center City.
Police say a large crowd of teens were at 1600 Walnut Street at 6:10 p.m. Saturday. A smaller group of teens in the crowd then began to attack random people in the area.
"They said it was unprovoked," a witness, who did not want to be identified, told NBC10. "They didn't say anything and they just found themselves getting beat up. It was scary."
A 55-year-old Philadelphia police detective, who was off-duty at the time and with his 53-year-old wife, spotted the teens attacking a 21-year-old man, police said. As the detective walked towards them the teens fled the area. The detective began walking back to where his wife was when he spotted more teens attack two young men in their 20s, according to investigators.
The detective announced he was a police officer and tried to arrest one of the teens who was kicking the two men. As the detective grabbed the teen he was punched from behind by several other attackers, police said. The detective's wife splashed water on the teens in order to stop them. One of the attackers then punched the woman in the face, police said. All of the teen attackers then fled the area.
The detective suffered an orbital fracture to his right eye. The man and his wife, who also suffered minor injuries, were both taken to Jefferson Hospital for treatment. Three other people suffered minor injuries during the attack.
"We looked and we saw people who had obviously been beaten up," the witness told NBC10. "They were bleeding from their heads. We saw at least three people that were like that."
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Immediately following the attack on 1600 Walnut Street a 28-year-old man was attacked by several teens on 100 S. 16th Street. Responding police officers then arrested two 16-year-old boys.
Police continue to investigate the attacks and are working on gathering video and other evidence to identify the other teens involved.
