Philly cops shoot man wanted in murder of bystander in Kensington
Spencer Majett, 29, was wanted in connection with the Oct. 8 killing of a woman who was shot outside the Steak N Beer deli on Kensington Avenue.
Philadelphia police officers shot a man on Tuesday night in Kensington as they sought to take him into custody on a murder warrant and he fled and fired a gun at them, authorities said.
At around 5:30 p.m., officers patrolling Kensington Avenue spotted Spencer Majett, 29, said Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore. Majett is a suspect in the Oct. 8 killing of a woman who was shot outside the Steak N Beer deli on Kensington Avenue, when an altercation erupted into gunfire, he said.
The death of Felicity Vanatta, 23, marked the second shooting in a week on that block, where two people were struck by bullets earlier. And it was the second fatal shooting of a bystander in Kensington since August, when KellyAnne Kane, 41, was shot and killed after a fight broke out and led to gunfire on the 2500 block of Kensington Avenue, police said.
On Tuesday, the officers confirmed the man was Majett by matching his description with alerts on their phone and called for backup, said Vanore. Two other officers arrived and tried to stop Majett, who then took off on foot, he said.
As officers chased Majett, he fired at least one shot from a .40 caliber gun, said Vanore. The officers fired back, striking Majett in the shoulder in an alleyway between the 3100 blocks of Custer and Reach Streets near Kensington Avenue, police said.
He was taken to Temple University Hospital and was listed in stable condition.
Along with the murder charge, Majett will likely face aggravated assault charges for shooting at the officers, said Vanore.