By Bill Gelman
On Monday, at approximately 7:36 a.m., an off-duty police officer in civilian attire was operating his 2016 Dodge pickup west on Bigler Street approaching Broad Street. According to the Philadelphia Police Department, the officer observed a 2012 Honda Accord, stopped in the east travel lane, facing west, and the male operator later identified as 31-year-old Khalil Lawal of Arlington, Va., was chasing another male, on foot (this male observed the vehicle strike a pedestrian, moments earlier, and tried to detain the male). The officer exited his vehicle, drew his firearm and identified himself as a police officer, police said. The male began assaulting the officer, and the officer discharged his service pistol, striking the male in the torso, legs and face.
The male was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased at 10:15 a.m
The male struck by the car was treated and released at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania for abrasions and contusions to his head and legs.
The officer was treated and released at Methodist Hospital for abrasions and contusions to his head and shoulder.
There were no other reported injuries to police or civilians as a result of the firearm discharge.
This is an ongoing investigation.
Wanted for assault
The Philadelphia Police Department has released surveillance footage connected to a Jan. 13 assault at Jake’s Laundromat, 1001 Snyder Ave. At approximately 7:30 p.m., an unknown male was captured on surveillance video entering the business and began to charge his cellular phone. When an employee informed the suspect that if he was not a customer he would have to leave, police said the suspect became irate, yelling and threatened to shoot the employee. When the suspect left, he was seen running to a vehicle and returned to the laundromat with a gun in his hand. When the suspect returned, he noticed the employee was on the phone, and fled the area in an unknown direction.
If you have any information about this crime or this suspect, please contact South Detective Division at 215–686–3013/3014. DC 18–03–002476.
