UPDATE (2:50 p.m.): The man suspected in the shooting of 24-year-old police officer James McCullough has been arrested, according to police. 23-year-old Scott Griffin was in the possession of a gun when he was arrested around 1 p.m. on Monday.

A police officer was shot in the leg on Sunday while tackling a robbery suspect near 59th and Market, according to reports. Two suspects, including the gunman, remained at large as of Monday morning.

The shooting happened at around 8:50 p.m. when 18th District police responded to a call of a robbery and a car break-in on the 5900 block of Market Street. Police say three suspects robbed a man and took the keys to the victim’s car, a Ford Expedition. The robbery victim reportedly chased the suspects to a nearby SEPTA station at 60th and Market, beat up one of them and held him for the police. The other two suspects ran toward 59th and Salford and tried to get into a Dodge Durango, which they mistook for the robbed man’s car.

The wounded officer, identified by the authorities as , was flagged down by a woman, who owns the Dodge Durango, according to reports. He got out of the patrol car and tried to tackle one of the suspects when he was shot in the thigh. Both suspects, including the one who shot the officer, escaped. Police say McCullough fired his weapon three times at the suspect, but he still managed to flee.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (Thu, April 14, 2016): Another armed robbery attempt took place on Monday night on the 200 block of S. Melville St. (between Locust and Spruce) by the same person, police believe. It happened at around 9:20 p.m. A 27-year-old woman was walking up to her door on the block when a man approached her from behind, said that he had a gun and demanded money. The woman ran into the house and closed the door, and the man fled. Nothing was taken and no injuries were reported. In this case the suspect was described as a black male in his 20’s, thin build, 5 foot 7 inches, short hair, no facial hair. He was wearing a dark jean jacket.

April 11, 2016, 14:52 p.m.: The Southwest Detective Division is investigating a series of gunpoint robberies and robbery attempts on Walnut and Pine Streets in the past two months that may be connected.  The most recent incident was reported on Thursday, Apr. 7.

The first happened on February 18, when a man was walking near 47th and Walnut at around 6 p.m. and was approached by an unknown male who stated: “I have a gun, give me your wallet.” The man said “No” and the suspect threatened to shoot him, according to a police report. The victim then elbowed the attacker and ran to his residence a short distance away. Nothing was taken.

The suspect was described as a black male in his 20s, 6 feet tall, with medium length dreads, wearing all black.  Continue Reading

A few community meetings will be held this week – in the Spruce Hill and Walnut Hill neighborhoods – where residents can learn more and ask questions about public safety, development projects, and other important issues.

Two meetings are scheduled at Spruce Hill Community Association’s office at 257 S. 45th St this week:

• SHCA Board Meeting will take place tonight (Tuesday, Apr. 12) at 7:30 p.m., and the guest speaker is Jess Hinchey, a volunteer coordinator at Refugee Corps.

• SHCA Zoning meeting is on Wednesday, Apr. 13, and has the following agenda:  Continue Reading

Police are investigating the death of a young man, a West Philly resident, who was found with a puncture wound on Sunday morning on the 300 block of South Saint Bernard Street, near Barkan Park. Police believe the man was stabbed.

Medics responded to a call of an unresponsive male lying in the street behind a parked unattended vehicle shortly after 9 a.m. on Sunday and found the man, later identified as 21-year-old Saadiq Abdull Latiyf (aka Saadiq Richardson) with a puncture wound to the upper chest. He was pronounced dead at 9:22 a.m.

18th District police officers responded to the scene and found a cell phone lying next to the victim. No weapon was found.

If you have any information about this crime, please contact Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183/3184.

Police are looking for a young man, who got into a minivan parked on the 4800 block of Walnut Street with a 4-month-old infant in the back seat and drove off. The baby was later found unharmed in Germantown.

The incident happened at 7:50 a.m. when the minivan owner and the baby’s father left his car with the engine running at 4847 Walnut St. to make a purchase at a food store, according to police. The child was left secured in the back seat. When the man returned a short time later he discovered that his car along with his son was gone.

The child, who was strapped in his car seat when he was abducted, was found about 30 minutes later near Penn and Green Streets, according to police. The thief reportedly found a phone number inside the car and sent a text message telling where the child can be found. Police found the baby boy at that location outside in the rain, but unharmed, according to a report by NBC10.  Continue Reading

A police pursuit of a vehicle led to a crash this afternoon near 52nd and Catharine, according to reports. The pursuit, which began in Delaware county shortly after 4 p.m., ended in West Philadelphia when the suspects’ vehicle crashed. The police then chased two suspects on foot. One person was arrested, and another man remains at large, 6ABC reports.

One civilian was injured during the chase, according to reports. It’s currently unknown what led to the pursuit. Stay tuned for more information.

UPDATE: NBC reports that at least four people were hurt after the fleeing driver struck multiple vehicles near 53rd and Cedar.