Three Philadelphia police officers were injured in a shooting incident on Wednesday evening while responding to a domestic dispute. The incident took place on the 7500 block of Whitaker Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia.
The argument initially erupted between 42-year-old Michael Hwang and his son over video games. The situation escalated when the boy’s uncle intervened. Hwang allegedly followed them upstairs and opened fire, striking the uncle. The child and uncle immediately called 911 for help.
When the police arrived at the scene, Hwang refused to drop his weapon and ended up shooting two officers and a police sergeant. Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford revealed that the shooter was waiting for the officers’ arrival and immediately began firing upon them. However, the injured officers and sergeant quickly returned fire, resulting in Hwang’s death.
Hwang was found wearing a ballistic vest and had a 40 caliber Glock pistol, along with several loaded magazines. The officer’s radio transmissions captured the terrifying moment when one of the injured officers called for assistance, stating, “I’m hit. Just get me a car.”
The uncle was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, while the officers suffered gunshot wounds to the leg and hand. At 11 p.m. on Wednesday, the sergeant who was shot in the hand was released from the hospital. By 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, a second officer was also discharged from the hospital, surrounded by fellow officers saluting her as she was wheeled out. The third officer is still hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the leg.
The injured officers have been identified as a 32-year-old with four years of service, a 34-year-old with six years of service, and a 37-year-old sergeant with 17 years of service. All officers involved in the incident belong to the 2nd Police District.
The child and an adult female present in the house during the incident were unharmed. The motive behind the shooting and the exact number of shots fired are still unknown.
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 President John McNesby commended the courage of the officers, stating, “Our brave and dedicated officers continue to amaze me with their courage to run toward gunfire.” McNesby expressed gratitude that the officers would recover from their injuries and stressed the community’s debt of gratitude towards them.