Philadelphia Police Involved In Shootout After 2 Suspects Shoot At Each Other In Germantown, Police Say
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia police came upon a shootout in Germantown and were then involved in the gun battle, according to police. It happened on the 4800 block of Keyser Street Wednesday afternoon.
CBS3 counted several dozen bullet shells spread out on the ground and marked by police near the intersection of Keyser and Logan Streets. It prompted a large response from Philadelphia police.
Philadelphia police say two officers were doing surveillance in an unmarked car in the area when they happened to come across two young men already engaged in an active gun battle and firing shots at each other.
The passenger officer got out and identified himself as a police officer. That's when police say one of the two gunmen fired a shot at that officer.
While the officer ducked for cover, the officer behind the wheel drove about half a block down the road after the suspects, eventually firing one shot through the windshield of the police vehicle at the suspects.
Police say no officers were shot and they don't believe the suspects were either.
"It just continues to speak to the level of gun violence that we're seeing almost every day in this city. We say time and time again that something has to give but there's too many folks out there that just seem to get unlimited access to firearms and obviously, they're not afraid to use them on each other, and as we've seen over the past couple weeks, they're not afraid to use them against our officers," Philadelphia Police Sgt. Eric Gripp said.
Police say after this shootout more officers responded to the area and were able to track down the two suspected shooters, along with two semi-automatic handguns.
Those suspects are a 23-year-old man and a 20-year-old man.
Officers are now conducting a full investigation of the incident and the officers involved have been placed on administrative duty in the meantime.
CBS3's Ross DiMattei reports.
For a list of gun violence resources in Philadelphia, click here.
