Philadelphia DA and Police Commissioner clash over officer shooting investigation

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel are engaged in a public dispute following the fatal shooting of Officer Shane Seiber. The conflict centers on the 2023 acquittal of Eric Lewis, the man now charged with killing Seiber and wounding Officer Hector Rodriguez III.

Krasner accused Bethel’s inner circle of spreading misinformation by suggesting prosecutors were responsible for the previous acquittal. Krasner defended his office, stating that the acquittal resulted from “one of the worst investigations” he has seen in 40 years. He alleged that “arguably criminal” conduct by former Officer Naeem Crawley and Homicide Detective Laura Harris devastated the prosecution in the original 2019 road-rage murder case.

Krasner noted that Crawley, who was terminated from the force, had allegedly provided false information during the initial investigation. The District Attorney’s Office is currently considering filing criminal charges against former law enforcement members involved in the botched investigation, which Krasner claims directly contributed to Lewis being free to commit the recent attack on officers.