Philadelphia police officer killed in West Philly ambush

Investigators in Philadelphia are continuing to search for evidence following an ambush that left one police officer dead and another wounded in West Philadelphia. On Friday, crews cleared brush and weeds near the scene to assist officers in searching for shell casings and other missing evidence.

Police allege that 35-year-old Eric Lewis ambushed officers Shane Seiber and Hector Rodriguez III while they were responding to a report of a man with a gun. Authorities state that after a scuffle, Lewis opened fire on the officers while they were on the ground. Seiber, a 10-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, died at the hospital. Rodriguez, a nine-year veteran and father of five, was shot 12 times and remains hospitalized following multiple surgeries.

Lewis, an employee of the Philadelphia Water Department with a significant criminal history, has been charged with homicide of a law enforcement officer, murder, and 10 counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer. The case has drawn scrutiny toward the legal system, as District Attorney Larry Krasner previously criticized the conduct that led to Lewis being acquitted of a murder charge in 2019.