Police release security footage of Fairhill deli shooting amid speculation about gunshots and stolen firearm

Law enforcement on Tuesday released surveillance footage of a Fairhill corner store shooting that left a 28-year-old man dead and a Philadelphia police officer wounded, in an unusual move that Commissioner Kevin Bethel said was needed to combat speculation surrounding the circumstances of the shooting.

The shooting drew controversy after the circulation of a viral video showing two police officers wrestling with Alexander Spencer on the floor moments before he was shot, raising questions about the initial description police provided on Friday night.

But Bethel said that the 30-second video was misleading, and that more complete footage from store security cameras provided a clearer version of events.

“The untruths that come from that [video] are difficult to deal with, and so we’re working hard to disprove those rumors,” Bethel said during a news conference Tuesday.

Surveillance video from Jennifer Tavern, the beer store and virtual gambling parlor where the shooting occurred, shows events leading up to the gunshots, and documents the theft of the gun police say Spencer fired — an act that was not visible in the much shorter video posted online Saturday.

The roughly five minutes of footage, which police said they released with permission from Spencer’s family, shows two 24th District officers entering the narrow corner store around 8:50 p.m. They begin inspecting a group of men for weapons almost immediately.

“You got a gun on you?” one officer asked. “No guns?”

Spencer and another unidentified man, standing by virtual gambling machines in the rear of the store, can be seen lifting their shirts to show their waistbands. Spencer then appears to resist an attempt to search his jacket as the two officers surround him.

A struggle ensues, and the three men end up on the floor. At that point, a gunshot rings out, causing blood to spurt from an officer’s leg. The video shows what appears to be a handgun being tossed by Spencer to the front of the store, as both officers pull out their service weapons. A second shot from one of the officer’s weapons is audible as a burst of feathers from Spencer’s jacket fills the air. “I’m shot! I’m shot!” a voice yelled.

A man in a red sweatshirt, whom police later identified as Jose Quiñones-Mendez, then re-enters the store, crouches down, and walks out with the loose weapon — Spencer’s gun, police say.

Hours after releasing the footage, police identified the officer who fired the fatal round at Spencer as Raheem Hall, 33, a six-year department veteran. The department said it would not publicly confirm the injured officer’s name without his consent, as he is considered a victim.

Bethel said the department’s investigation into the shooting remains ongoing. District Attorney Larry Krasner, whose office is also investigating the shooting, said he hoped the video would dispel online speculation that has swirled over the last four days.

“What we have is the opportunity for people to invent their own narratives, and that can be dangerous,” Krasner said at the news conference. “When people keep repeating the same thing that is untrue over and over and over, it starts to feel like it’s true.”

The initial bystander video, posted on Instagram, showed only officers with their guns drawn, pinning Spencer to the ground. It does not clearly show who fired the two rounds, or a weapon being tossed across the store.

A friend of Spencer’s, who watched the shooting unfold from the back of the store, described in detail a chaotic scene that closely mirrored the security footage. He said he did not see the gun police said Spencer fired and then tossed away, according to an interview provided to The Inquirer on Monday. Video shows him seeking cover behind one of the gambling machines as the shots erupt and the weapon is thrown across the store.

On Friday night, Bethel initially said Spencer had shot the officer twice. Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore clarified Tuesday that was due to confusion over the entry and exit wounds. A single shot created four wounds, he said, as the bullet penetrated the crouched officer’s lower and upper leg.

The department’s narrative faces formidable scrutiny after police provided inconsistent accounts of other recent police shootings, forcing officials to walk back their initial version of events.

In the August fatal shooting of Eddie Irizarry, authorities initially reported that Irizarry had “lunged” at officers with a knife during a vehicle stop, but video later showed that Irizarry was seated in his car with the windows up when Officer Mark Dial opened fire, seconds after initiating the stop.

In 2022, plainclothes officers shot and killed 12-year-old T.J. Siderio after he fired a round through the window of an unmarked police car that had been tailing him, wounding an officer inside with shattered glass. Police initially refused to say whether Siderio was still armed at the time of his death, but video evidence later showed officers recovering his weapon about 60 feet away from where Officer Edsaul Mendoza shot him in the back.

Bethel said there was no body-worn camera footage of Friday’s shooting as the officers didn’t activate their cameras, which were ultimately dislodged from their uniforms during the struggle. That issue is now part of the ongoing investigation, which includes ballistics tests and other evidence that will provide more clarity on the shots.The shooting creates a delicate political situation for Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, who was elected on a law-and-order platform that included ramping up the controversial policing tactic known as stop-and-frisk. Spencer’s friends and police accountability advocates claim the officers did not have probable cause to initiate a body search on the men in the deli that night.

Spencer’s acquaintances told The Inquirer the two officers were known faces in the neighborhood, and accused them of conducting baseless stops.

Bethel countered that argument Tuesday, citing the rampant shootings and gun crime in the Fairhill area, and said the officers were “out doing a security check” while also “looking for a shooter with an active warrant” when they ran into Spencer. Whether they knew Spencer remained unclear. Only one officer has been interviewed by the department so far, authorities said.

Spencer had been arrested at least five times since 2015, according to court records. He had served time on multiple drug charges and, at the time of the shooting, was facing charges of criminal mischief and possession of an instrument of crime stemming from an arrest last year.

Krasner said his office would be able to release more findings from his investigation within 90 days.

Meanwhile, police continue to search for Quiñones-Mendez, 42, who is wanted for theft, tampering with evidence, and related offenses for allegedly lifting the gun from deli floor. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, the union that represents city officers, is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

Staff writer Rob Tornoe contributed to this article.