A man shot and killed after he allegedly aimed a gun at two Philadelphia police officers at first tried to get rid of it by throwing it onto a roof, police said Friday.
The events leading to the shooting began just before 9 p.m. Thursday when two officers patrolling in a cruiser approached the 21-year-old southwest Philadelphia man, who was walking. They wanted to talk to him about an investigation, Stanford said.
The man ran away and police chased him, Stanford said. The man pulled a gun from his waistband and threw it onto the roof of a nearby building, he said.
The gun fell off the building near the man, who picked it up and aimed it at the officers, both of whom fired several shots, Sanford said.
Police haven't said why the officers tried to stop the man, though Sanford said he has a record that includes a drug-related weapons violation and drunken driving.
"This is just another indication that there are a lot of people out there on the street that have guns and should not," Sanford said.
The man was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he died. Police did not immediately identify him because his relatives had not all been informed of his death.
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The gun found at the scene was a 9mm Ruger pistol. It had one bullet in the chamber and 14 in its magazine, Sanford said.
It was not immediately clear if the man was on probation, parole or on bond for the previous offenses, Sanford said.
The officers, who are not being identified, have been placed on administrative duty, which is routine for those involved in shootings. Internal affairs and the district attorney's office also will review the shooting.
