A man is now in custody following a lengthy barricade situation in which shots were fired at police and homes were evacuated in Philadelphia's Fox Chase neighborhood, officials said.
The ordeal began Thursday at 3:35 p.m. when a relative of an unidentified 40-year-old man walked into a police district with 302 paperwork, indicating his family member was in need of an evaluation for possible psychiatric treatment.
Police responded to the 40-year-old man’s home along the 700 block of Emerson Street at 3:51 p.m. Investigators said the man began to speak to the responding officers from a window and asked to see the paperwork. When the officers showed it to him, he told them he needed to take a shower, police said. The man then allegedly began to open a safe with multiple guns inside.
Police then declared a barricade situation at 4:12 p.m.
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Neighboring homes were evacuated during the standoff. At one point, police said, the 40-year-old man fired shots from inside the home, striking a SWAT vehicle several times as well as a police car. A SWAT officer fired back at the house but no one was struck or injured during the gunfire, police said.
Police closed Verree Road to Solly Avenue as well as Halstead Street to Hoffnagle Street due to the standoff.
After working with the man's family members and making contact with him, police were finally able to get the man to surrender shortly before 11 p.m., investigators said. He was taken in for a mental health evaluation. Police have not revealed his identity or the specific charges he'll face.
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The standoff and shooting occurred a day after a police officer was shot in West Philadelphia. That officer survived while two men were arrested and charged in the shooting.
“This is twice in 24 hours that our officers have come under fire,” Philadelphia Police Public Information Officer Eric Gripp said. “We’re very fortunate that this had a peaceful resolution.”
