Three Philadelphia police officers shot in Wynnefield expected to be OK, suspected shooter dead
By Courtney Cherry, Alexandra Simon
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PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Three Philadelphia police officers are expected to be okay after being shot in the Wynnefield section of the city.
The shooting happened at N 54th and Arlington streets around 10:30 p.m. Saturday night.
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said the officers were responding to a shooting incident where a car “had been shot up” when a man began “engaging them multiple times.”
Bethel said the officers told the man to stand down multiple times, but he refused.
When officers went to arrest the him around 10:45 p.m., the man took out a gun, which resulted in an “exchange of gunfire,” Bethel said.
Bethel said four officers discharged their weapons. The 57-year-old man who was shot in the exchange was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead at 11:08 p.m.
Friends and an attorney for the family identified the man Sunday as Eric Franks, a husband and father of two who owned several businesses in the area. They said Franks was a former Philadelphia firefighter and Marine veteran.
When contacted for a statement, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Fire Department declined to comment because of the “active investigation.”
Three officers, one of whom is a sergeant, were injured and taken to Penn Presbyterian Hospital. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said Saturday night that one officer was shot in the face, another was shot in the hip, and one was shot in the leg. All are in stable condition, Parker said.
A fourth officer who fired his gun has been on the force for one year, but was not injured.
“These officers are husbands and fathers, sons and brothers, and they almost didn’t make it home tonight,” Parker said in a social media post. “Our Officers put their lives on the line every day. They go to work, and they don’t know if they’ll even come home when their shift is over. I want everyone to keep them in prayer tonight, and remember their Sacrifice for our City.”
Bethel said the officers met with Parker Saturday and were “in great spirits.”
Police are reviewing surveillance footage from the block where the shooting happened, and expect to release more details about what led up to the shooting and the man who was killed this week.
In a statement released Sunday, Philadelphia City Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson (At-Large) said she visited the officers in the hospital and is “deeply saddened” by Saturday night’s shooting, which happened just two blocks from her home.
“I want to thank the first responders who acted swiftly and courageously. Their professionalism and dedication to protecting our community are deeply appreciated not just tonight but each and every day.
As more information becomes available, I will continue to work closely with the Administration and my district Councilmember and colleague, Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr., to ensure that public safety remains our top priority and that our community receives the support needed during this difficult time,” Richardson said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also posted on social media that Pennsylvania State Police are in touch with Philadelphia Police “to offer whatever assistance is needed.”
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