Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — An off-duty police officer shot and killed a man he said tried to rob him just north of Center City this morning, officials say.
The officer, not identified, also was injured from being smacked in the face with a pistol, police said.
Details are sketchy, but police said the officer was driving his black Nissan SUV about 3:30 a.m. when he stopped on Willow at N. 7th Street, outside the Electric Factory.
The alleged robber somehow got into the car and hit the officer in the face, police said. The officer fired, hitting the man, who was later pronounced dead at nearby Hahnemann University Hospital.
Police found a pistol on the curb and money in the street, authorities said.
The officer remained at the scene for sometime after the shooting and TV news video showed him sitting in the back of a squad car holding a towel to his face.
Three hours later, the officer’s vehicle was still on Willow Street, its headlights on. Crime scene officers placed yellow markers on the street, including one pointing to the handgun on the street.
Detectives from the Internal Affairs Unit and the Homicide Unit are investigating the shooting.
This is the second attempted robbery of an off-duty officer that ended in a fatal shooting in a week.
On Dec. 31, Officer Martin Campbell was seriously wounded and his long-time friend was killed when two men tried to rob them in North Philadelphia.
A $15,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the capture and conviction of the assailants.
Copyright 2009 Philadelphia Inquirer