Philly Officer Killed, Partner Shot 12 Times in Brutal Porch Ambush; Suspect, City Worker with Criminal Record, Found Hiding in Tree

A Philadelphia police officer was fatally shot and his partner critically wounded early Saturday morning when they were ambushed while responding to a report of an armed man on a residential porch in West Philadelphia, authorities said.⁠Fox News

Officer Shane Seiber, 40, a 10-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department assigned to the 19th District, was struck three times. He was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he died later that morning. His wife and other family members were by his side before he passed, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said.⁠Fox News

Seiber, a married father of a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter, “fought valiantly, but he lost his life today,” Bethel told reporters. Mayor Cherelle Parker described Seiber as a “servant leader” who “paid the ultimate price while sacrificing his own life to protect and serve our city.” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered flags flown at half-staff in his honor.⁠The Guardian

Seiber’s 33-year-old partner, a father of five who has served nine years with the department, was shot 12 times. He underwent surgery and was reported in stable condition Saturday, though Bethel cautioned that he was “not out of the woods yet.”⁠Fox29

The officers were dispatched shortly after midnight to the 100 block of North 52nd Street for a report of a man with a gun on a porch. They arrived around 12:50 a.m. and were met with heavy gunfire as they approached the property, police said. The suspect then took one of the officers’ firearms and fled down an alley, firing at nine additional responding officers. None of those officers were struck.⁠Triblive

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner identified the suspect as 35-year-old Eric Lewis, an employee of the Philadelphia Water Department. Krasner called the attack a “brutal, senseless, horrific killing” and said Lewis faces charges including homicide of a law enforcement officer, murder, multiple counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, attempted murder, disarming a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault, and related weapons offenses. Prosecutors identified at least 11 victims. Lewis is being held without bail.⁠Fox News

SWAT officers located Lewis hiding in a tree near the scene, armed with a shotgun and two handguns—one of which belonged to one of the wounded officers. He was taken into custody, evaluated at a hospital, and later charged.⁠Fox29

Court records reviewed by multiple outlets show Lewis has a criminal history dating back more than a decade, including a 2012 conviction for theft and receiving stolen property, a 2013 conviction involving gun-related offenses and simple assault, and a 2018 guilty plea to disorderly conduct involving fighting. He received probation in those cases. Krasner noted Lewis had no felony convictions that would have barred him from possessing a firearm.⁠Fox News

A municipal union representing city workers confirmed Lewis’s employment with the Water Department and said the charges do not reflect the standards of its members.

Philly Crime Update, a local outlet focused on crime and policing, obtained and published exclusive police radio audio and related video from the response. The footage captures the chaotic early moments of the incident, with officers coordinating a response amid reports of gunfire, including communications referencing shots fired as officers approached the alleyway and efforts to secure the perimeter.⁠X

Additional officers rushed to the scene and carried their wounded colleagues to patrol vehicles for transport to the hospital, according to video previously obtained by the outlet.

Seiber joined the department in September 2016 and had served in the 19th District since 2018. Sources told local media he had recently completed SWAT training. His death marks another line-of-duty fatality for the Philadelphia Police Department, which has lost hundreds of officers since its founding.

The incident has drawn statements of condolence from city and state officials. Bethel asked the public to keep the officers and their families in their prayers, saying the department would “stand tall” through the period of mourning.