What we know about the Fairhill shooting that left a man dead and an officer shot

Officials are continuing to investigate the Friday police shooting in Philadelphia’s Fairhill neighborhood that left 28-year-old Alexander Spencer dead and an officer injured.

Police on Tuesday released surveillance footage that shows a struggle and ensuing shooting. That footage was presented publicly in an attempt to quell anger sparked by a viral, 30-second Instagram video that raised questions about the incident, Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel said.

“The untruths that come from that are difficult to deal with, and so we’re working hard to disprove those rumors,” Bethel said. Everything in the case, he added, needs to be reviewed, and “that is not done in three or four days.”

Here is what we know:

The shooting happened around 8:45 p.m. Friday at Jennifer Tavern, a beer store and deli near Mascher and Cambria Streets in North Philadelphia.

Two 24th District officers were doing a security check on the property, police said, leading to what Bethel called a “scuffle” with a man inside the store. Bethel said that when the man, later identified as Spencer, shot one of the officers, the officer’s partner fired at Spencer, striking him in the back.

Both Spencer and the officer were taken to Temple University Hospital. Spencer was later pronounced dead, and the officer was discharged from the hospital on Monday.

Police have obtained an arrest warrant for Jose Quiñones-Mendez, 42, who they believe took Spencer’s gun from the scene. He is wanted for theft, obstruction of justice, and tampering with evidence.

Surveillance footage of the shooting shows the two officers entering Jennifer Tavern for what police said was a security check of the store. The officers can be heard asking if anyone in the shop had a gun.

The officers approach Spencer, who resists attempts to search him, leading to a struggle as they attempt to get him on the ground. Amid the struggle, a shot rings out, wounding one of the officers. The officer was struck by one bullet, but had four wounds because he was in a crouched position, Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said Tuesday.

Following that shot, one of the officers is shown drawing his weapon and shooting Spencer in the back.

Footage then shows what appears to be a handgun being thrown to the front of the store. It lands near the entrance, and a man in a red sweatshirt can be seen crouching down and picking up the gun before exiting.

Bethel said that there was no body-worn camera footage because the officers’ cameras “were not initially activated” and were later knocked off their clothing.

» READ MORE: Police release security footage of Fairhill deli shooting amid speculation about gunshots and stolen firearm

A video posted to Instagram that appeared to be filmed from just outside the store raised questions about the circumstances of the shooting.

Another witness said that he and Spencer were playing virtual gambling games at the store when two officers entered and directed them to lift their shirts.

The witness said that he and Spencer complied and showed their waistbands to the officers. But as they tried to leave, the officers grabbed Spencer in an attempt to search his jacket, leading to a struggle as they took him to the ground. The witness said he did not see where the blast that hit the officer came from, but the other officer shot Spencer in the back while he was on the floor.

» READ MORE: A stop-and-frisk preceded the Philly shooting that left a man dead and an officer shot, witness says

A Philadelphia native, Spencer was known by locals in the Fairhill neighborhood as Dot. He often hung out at Jennifer Tavern, which he and his friends called “the deli.”

The deli, friends told The Inquirer, was a haven for the group. There, Spencer threw birthday parties and hosted Eagles games on Sundays, regularly buying drinks for friends and food for people who could not afford it.

According to court records, Spencer has been arrested a number of times, including in October for possession of an instrument of crime. Friends, however, told The Inquirer he had been working to turn his life around.

Officials on Tuesday identified the officer who killed Spencer as Officer Raheem Hall, 33, a six-year veteran of the police department. The wounded officer, a nine-year veteran, will only be identified if he chooses to be, Bethel said.

Both officers have been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation, per department policy.

“I don’t want us to ever lose sight of how important the work that my men and women are doing and what I’m asking them to do on a daily basis,” Bethel said, “to go into some of the places that have our greatest challenges to serve that same community.”

Criminal and administrative investigations are underway. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Tuesday that he would be able to speak about the incident in more detail within 90 days. Transparency, he added, would be needed during the investigation.

“The reality is we may agree with interpretations of the Philadelphia Police Department completely. We may agree with them partially, or we may not agree with them,” Krasner said. “But today is not the day for that. Today is the day for transparency.”

Staff writers Max Marin, Anna Orso, Robert Moran, Rob Tornoe, Frank Kummer, and Amy S. Rosenberg contributed to this article.