Biodun.BBC: BREAKING: Philadelphia shooting: Gunman in stand-off with police after injuring six

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Image captionThe gunman opened fire as officers served a drug warrant at a home in Philadelphia

by Kathy DiNuzzo and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Philadelphia

Police are locked in a lengthy stand-off with a gunman who injured at least six officers during a shootout in the US city of Philadelphia.

A gun battle broke out between police and a male shooter at around 16:30 local time (20:30 GMT).

The officers were serving a drugs warrant at a home in Philadelphia's Nicetown-Tiago neighbourhood when the gunman opened fire.

Eight hours on, Philadelphia Police say the armed suspect is yet to surrender.

A SWAT team rescued two officers and three others who were trapped inside the home with the gunman, police said.

Police officers hold guns near the scene of a shooting in Philadelphia — Image captionPolice have been attempting to urge the gunman to surrender

Police Commissioner Richard Ross said the SWAT team "were able to use stealth" to safely evacuate the officers from a "hostage situation".

Mr Ross said the trapped officers were holding people they arrested during the initial raid.

The gunman fired on the SWAT team's truck outside the home, where police wearing bulletproof vests took cover behind cars with guns drawn.

"There's no indication that he's trying to surrender, we do know that he is still alive, there's no question of that because of the shots that keep ringing out," Commissioner Ross said in a news conference.

Officers were still "attempting to communicate with the shooter" and urging him to give himself up, police Sergeant Eric Gripp tweeted.

Negotiators have attempted to call the suspect's phone and have been working with a family member and his lawyer.

Six officers who sustained non-life threatening injuries in the shooting have been released from hospital.

Mr Ross said "many of them had to escape through windows and doors" as the suspect fired.

"It's nothing short of a miracle that we don't have multiple officers killed today," the commissioner said.

A witness told local media she heard more than 100 gunshots and people running for their lives. "They kept us safe the whole time, the whole time, they kept us safe," one woman said of the officers.

Video from the scene shows dozens of police cars and officers outside the home where the gunman is hunkering down.

US President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting, deputy White House press secretary Hogan Gidley said.