A man was shot in the chest by an officer after he allegedly approached police while armed with a knife in West Philadelphia.
Police first responded to the 4900 block of Hazel Avenue on Wednesday, shortly before 7 p.m., for a report of a stabbing. When they arrived they didn’t find a stabbing victim but instead spotted an unidentified man holding a knife, according to investigators.
Police say they ordered the man to put down the knife but he didn’t comply and walked towards them. One officer then fired four shots, striking the man at least once in the chest.
"Like four loud firecrackers going off," Robbie Woodruff, who lives near where the shooting took place, told NBC10.
The man was taken to Presbyterian Hospital in critical condition. Police didn't find anyone in the area who had been stabbed.
An internal review is underway. The 27-year-old officer who shot the suspect is a 4-year veteran with the 18th District. Police told NBC10 he'll likely be pulled off the streets until a Use of Force investigation is complete.
