6 police officers shot in Philly, standoff followed

PHILADELPHIA — At least one gunman opened fire on police Wednesday as they were serving a warrant in a Philadelphia neighborhood, wounding six officers and triggering a standoff that extended into the evening, authorities said.

None of the officers’ injuries were considered lifethreatening, Philadelphia police Sgt. Eric Gripp said. They were being treated at hospitals.

The shooting began around 4:30 p.m. as officers went to a home in Nicetown, a north Philadelphia neighborhood of brick and stone rowhomes. Shots were still being fired three hours later, police said.

Officers were negotiating with the gunman and imploring him to surrender, while urging people to stay away from the area, Gripp tweeted.

Two officers became trapped inside the house amid the gunfire, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Commissioner Richard Ross said during a Wednesday night news conference the “very volatile” situation is still unfolding.

Ross said officers were serving a narcotics warrant at the home and had already entered when gunfire erupted. Ross said the gunman fired multiple rounds and officers returned fire. He said many “had to escape through windows and doors to get (away) from a barrage of bullets.”

Live video from news stations showed a massive police presence, with dozens of squad cars and officers, many of them with guns drawn.

Temple University locked down part of its campus, and several children and staff were trapped in a nearby daycare.

Police tried to push crowds of onlookers and residents back from the scene.

In police radio broadcasts, officers could be heard calling for backup as reports of officers getting shot poured in.

Dozens of officers on foot lined the streets. Others were in cars and some on horses.

One officer appeared injured and was taken away in a police car. Video also showed two other officers carrying a man and putting him in the back of a police car.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said its agents responded to the scene to assist Philadelphia police.

President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr were briefed on the shooting, officials said.

Matt Rourke / Associated Press Authorities stand outside a house as they investigate an active shooting situation Wednesday in the Nicetown neighborhood of Philadelphia.