A man driving erratically in a Philadelphia neighborhood Monday morning was shot by an off-duty police officer after the driver allegedly tried to run over pedestrians, CBS Philly reported.
Police said they responded to a call around 7:30 a.m., when a man driving a black Honda struck a pedestrian and was attempting to hit others, WXTF reported.
“I just heard, ‘Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,’ and knew something was going down,” Marc DiBattista told CBS Philly.
An off-duty police officer reportedly gave the driver a verbal warning, and when he did not respond the officer shot him in the face, WXTF reported.
“When the officer approached the car, he gets out of the car and begins attacking the officer. This male is about 6 feet 1, 250 (pounds), and immediately gets aggressive against the off-duty officer,” Philadelphia Police Capt. Sekou Kinebrew said.
Police would not release the name of the officer, saying only that he was a detective with the Philadelphia Police Department who was assigned to the Major Cimes Division.
Initial reports from police indicated the suspect was pronounced dead, WXTF reported. Authorities did not release the name of the driver but said he was in “extremely critical condition,” CBS Philly reported. Authorities said the man had a Virginia license and the Honda had a Maryland plate.
The driver was taken to a hospital, where he was in critical condition, police said.
Police said the injured pedestrian was taken to a hospital and is in serious condition, CBS Philly reported.
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