An off-duty police officer shot a man who he said charged at him with a pair of scissors in South Philadelphia.
According to police reports, officer Jason Santiago was in plain clothes while visiting an acquaintance’s home on the 2500 block of S. 7th Street on May 9 at approximately 5:45 p.m. when he heard the sound of breaking glass outside the property.
Santiago noticed a man throwing trash, knocking over recycle bins and breaking glass bottles along the sidewalk before he intervened, police said.
According to police, Santiago instructed the man to stop throwing trash and the man approached Santiago with a pair of scissors.
Police said Santiago identified himself as a police officer and ordered the man to drop the scissors. The suspect swung the scissors at Santiago twice before he fired four shots from his privately-owned 9mm gun, striking the suspect three times, police said.
The suspect, who was later identified as 57-year-old Frederick Middleton of the 2200 block of Christian Street, was shot in the left arm, abdomen and groin area and was taken to Jefferson Hospital by medics, police said.
The scissors were recovered at the scene and Middleton was charged with Simple Assault, Recklessly Endangering Another Person and Possession of an Instrument of Crime. Santiago was not injured.
“As is the case with on-duty police-involved discharges, this off-duty officer discharge will be investigated by our Officer-Involved Shooting Investigations Unit, as well as our Internal Affairs Division in a bifurcated manner,” stated Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw. “We are committed to conducting a thorough, objective, and transparent investigation, while upholding the tenets of due process for all involved.”
