October 13, 2026
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
District Attorney Larry Krasner, above, vowed to remain ‘deeply committed’ to ensuring justice for Philadelphia police officer Shane Seiber, a 10-year veteran who was fatally shot while on duty Saturday.
The man charged in the shooting that killed Philadelphia police officer Shane Seiber and severely wounded another officer on Saturday had been acquitted of a murder charge in 2023 because of a botched investigation by the Philadelphia Police Department, District Attorney Larry Krasner said Tuesday.
Eric Lewis, 35, has a criminal record that dates back to 2012 and has previously faced charges of assault, gun offenses and disorderly conduct. In the 2019 murder case of 32-year-old Christopher Williams, however, the "deeply flawed" and "arguably criminal" conduct from local police led to a judge finding Lewis not guilty three years ago, Krasner said.
"This man is out of custody because a balanced, good and fair judge did what he had to do because two absolutely excellent prosecutors did everything humanly possible with a case and an investigation that was so deeply flawed," Krasner said in a video posted Tuesday. "It was not just full of errors and mistakes — very serious ones — but some of the conduct involving one police officer and one detective is arguably criminal."
Lewis was accused of fatally shooting Williams in West Philadelphia after a road rage dispute, the Inquirer reported. A police officer who was dating Lewis' sister identified Lewis as the shooter. The unidentified officer then attempted to "torpedo" his own testimony by "making up a complete lie" about how he received anonymous information from a person who doesn't exist, Krasner said.
"It's not the only thing he did to try to get out of participating in the case," Krasner said. "It's obstruction of the administration of justice, and it is frankly outrageous, despicable and tragic all at the same time."
The judge presiding over the case found Lewis not guilty and ordered the Philadelphia Police Department's Internal Affairs Division to review the "egregious and troubling conduct" by law enforcement, Krasner wrote in a statement Tuesday.
Lewis was also charged with assault and gun offenses in 2021, but the case never went to trial due to the death of a key victim and witness. Officials with the district attorney’s office said it is aware of several other reports of 911 calls and potential complaints of violence involving Lewis.
Sergeant Eric Gripp, public information officer with the Philadelphia Police Department, said it would continue to "examine every aspect of this matter," but that it was focused on supporting its force and Seiber's family in the meantime.
"There will be a time to address the full record, but it is not now," the statement said. "Assigning blame while families are grieving does nothing to advance accountability or support those affected.
"True leadership does not seek to assign fault in a moment like this. It stands with the families. And when the time comes, it holds itself to the same scrutiny it asks of others. We will have more to say. Right now, these families deserve our attention, our support and our respect."
On Saturday around 12:15 a.m., Seiber and another officer responded to a report of a person with a gun at 140 N. 52nd St. in West Philadelphia. During the encounter, both officers were shot and found unresponsive on the porch before being transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, police said. Shots were also fired at several other responding officers.
Seiber, 40, was killed as a result of his gunshot injuries. He was a 10-year veteran of the force and leaves behind a wife and two children. The other officer, whose name was not released, remains in the hospital.
Lewis was taken into custody by SWAT personnel and is charged with homicide of a law enforcement officer, murder, 10 counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer and other related offenses. In a statement Krasner, said his office is "deeply committed" to holding Lewis accountable.
"We will keep on it," Krasner said in the video. "I'm going to make sure that there are not issues or errors, anything like that in this case as we move forward."
