A Philly SWAT officer was shot in Fairhill but survived thanks to his bulletproof vest, police say

A Philadelphia SWAT officer was shot in the chest Friday afternoon while serving a warrant in Fairhill, Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. But the officer was wearing a bulletproof vest, which Outlaw said likely saved his life.

The shooting happened around 12:42 p.m. as members of the SWAT unit and gun violence task force were serving a warrant on the 100 block of West Lehigh Avenue, Outlaw said. As SWAT officers approached a third-floor door, someone fired at least two shots through the wall.

One of those shots hit the SWAT officer in the chest plate of his bulletproof vest, Outlaw said. The suspected gunman then jumped out of a rear window and onto a second-floor roof.

At least one SWAT officer behind the building fired a shot at the man, Outlaw said, but did not hit him. Officers ultimately arrested the man and took him into custody. Outlaw did not identify him or say what charges he might be facing.

The officer, whom Outlaw also did not identify, was discharged after a brief stay at Temple University Hospital.

While addressing reporters outside the hospital, Outlaw called the incident a troubling example of how the city’s gun violence crisis is leading to shootings at all hours of the day and without regard to who might be around.

“I have met with you all outside this hospital I don’t know how many times to discuss ... an officer either being shot at or an officer being shot,” the commissioner said. “It’s sickening.”

Mayor Jim Kenney said he was thankful the officer was not injured or worse, but added: “There are too many guns on the streets of Philadelphia, too many guns in Pennsylvania.”

John McNesby, president of the police officers’ union, said in a statement: “Our officers and many residents in our city are under siege by violent offenders who care less about accountability.”

The shooting came nearly two years after another SWAT officer was fatally shot, also while attempting to serve a warrant. Cpl. James O’Connor IV was struck in the arm and shoulder in March 2020 after police say suspects wanted in a slaying began firing shots through the wall of a Frankford apartment.

Wednesday’s shooting came as gunfire in the city has continued at a troubling pace. Through Wednesday, police statistics show, 179 people have been wounded by gunfire, and 55 have been slain in homicides. Both are slight decreases from last year’s record-setting pace, but still remain higher than most other years in recent memory.