Jan '06 - May '07
At approximately 11:00am on April 16, 2007, there was an attempted auto theft from a University of Pennsylvania garage near 32nd and Convention Avenue. The garage attendant and supervisor, witnessed the attempted auto theft, and confronted the offender, at which point he brandished a weapon, and fled toward South Street. The offender first attempted to carjack two vehicles, before carjacking a driver of a white van, at point-of-gun, who was traveling on Spruce Street, near 33rd Street. Penn Police were called immediately by garage security, and were able to identify the offender in the van, resulting in a high-speed chase westbound on Spruce Street. The driver during the course of fleeing and avoiding traffic on the street, drove onto the sidewalk and struck a pedestrian (University of Pennsylvania Health System employee), who is currently in stable condition at HUP.
The driver lost control of the stolen vehicle between 40th and 41st Street and crashed into approximately four parked cars on the street. He then fled the scene northbound through a parking lot to the 200 block of Preston Street, with a Penn Police officer on foot pursuit. There was an ensuing struggle, where the offender attempted to take control of the officer’s service weapon, during the course of which, the weapon was discharged, striking the offender. He was transported to HUP in critical condition, and has since been pronounced dead at 12:37pm.
No injuries to the UPPD officers were sustained.
The entire incident is currently under a joint investigation by both the University of Pennsylvania Police Department and the Philadelphia Police Department.
5 Comments
Philly Up!
I've probably posted this before: When I lived in Philly, a guy up in Frankfort area (I think) attempted to mug a blind guy. Blind guy says "I'm trained in martial arts, please don't harass me." Mugger continues in mugging attempt. Blind guy in self-defense flips mugger up and over. Mugger lands on head in gutter, neck breaks, dead instantly.
It was all over the news and the blind guy (I know that term is totally uncool but for sake of brevity I'm using it anyway) was totally against any publicity on it, he was quoted in the news saying "Someone is dead, that's never a happy event, please out of respect for humanity don't sensationalize this".
My inner cynic says any scumbag who would mug a blind person is a waste of oxygen, so good riddance. My inner human thinks what a tragedy the whole story is.
You'll leave Philly behind forever soon, Hoff. Hang in there these last few weeks.
That story was in the campus email. We all got it and there was a large "what the f" moment throughout studio. It's just nice to the the Philadelphia gun violence clock doesn't take time off. It's like the only thing you can depend on in this place.
What a day of violence. I hope everything is going okay at Penn., I'll put the Health System Employee into my prayers.
I was unloading my studio stuff from my car at the end of my first year at penn in south philly. a kid rides up on the sidewalk on a bike with his hand down his sweats and ask for my wallet. when I ask him why, he says he got a 'gun'. as I'm backing into the street, a car approaches, screaches to a halt and two undercover cops jump out. Tell the kid to come over here, and start to question him. I call out that he says he got a 'gun' and was trying to rob me. the cops frisk him and pull a soggy hogie out of his pants....
the kid had just tried to rob three other people within a few blocks of where he was caught... stupid kid. watch out for hogies - they can be dangerous...
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