October 05, 2023
THOM CARROLL/for PhillyVoice
A man was killed by police Monday in Northeast Philadelphia after he shot three officers responding to a domestic violence call. Prior to their arrival, the man also shot a family member during a dispute over a video game.
UPDATE (10/9/2023): Police have identified the gunman who exchanged gunfire with the officers as 42-year-old Michael Hwang. The police officers who fired their weapons have been identified as 32-year-old officer Samantha Gress, 34-year-old officer John Hesdon and 33-year-old Sgt. James Borgia. Gress and Hesdon were wounded, as was a fourth person identified by police as "Sgt. A," who did not discharge his weapon.
Philadelphia police officers killed a man who shot three cops and another person Wednesday night in the Rhawnhurst section of Northeast Philadelphia, authorities said.
The officers were responding to a domestic dispute at a house on the 7500 block of Whitaker Avenue, according to multiple news reports. During an argument over a video game being played by a 12-year-old boy, his father shot his uncle, police said.
When police arrived shortly after 7 p.m., the boy's father was waiting in the front room of the house and immediately started firing at them, investigators said. Two officers were shot in their legs and a sergeant was shot in the hand.
At least three officers returned gunfire, killing the man, police said.
The three wounded officers were taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The boy's uncle was in critical condition at Jefferson Abington Hospital.
The names of the officers have not been released by police. The incident remains under investigation.
