A 51-year-old man was shot and killed by police early Friday morning in Kingsessing, according to reports. The shooting happened shortly after 2:45 a.m. on May 12 at a rooming house on the 1200 block of S. 51st St. The man reportedly lunged at two police officers with a large knife when they came to serve a warrant.

One of the officers used a Taser on the suspect, but he continued lunging at them with the knife, according to reports. Then the other officer discharged his weapon.

The man was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead at 3:30 a.m.

The investigation of the shooting is currently underway, and the officer who discharged his weapon, a 3-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department, has been placed on administrative leave, 6ABC reports.

Two police officers who shot an unarmed pizza deliveryman in 2014 have been transferred out of West Philly after pressure from neighborhood groups.

Officers Mitchell Farrell and Kevin Hanvey had resumed street patrol after a suspension for shooting Philippe Holland, who was delivering food near 51st and Willows on the evening of April 22, 2014. Farrell and Hanvey were in plain clothes and investigating a robbery in the area when they approached Holland with their guns drawn. Fearing a robbery, Holland ran to his car and tried to drive away. The officers opened fire, hitting Holland in the head and leg. Police regulations prohibit shooting at a moving vehicle. A total of 14 shots were fired, according to investigators.

After a three-year investigation, Hanvey and Farrell were suspended for 25 days and were back on the streets. A joint letter from Cedar Park Neighbors, Cobbs Creek Neighbors, Garden Court Community Association and Walnut Hill Community Association dated April 28 asking the Philadelphia Police Department to fire the two officers prompted the transfer.  Continue Reading

             Jasmine Wright was 27.

The maintenance man standing trial for the rape and murder of a woman who lived in the building where he worked was found guilty on Wednesday of first degree murder and other charges and sentenced to life without parole.

James Harris, 56, was found guilty in the July 2015 rape and murder of 27-year-old Jasmine Wright, a Drexel graduate student, at her apartment near 50th and Locust Streets.

Harris had worked in the building where Wright lived, but had been fired a week earlier, according to reports. He still had keys to the building when Wright was murdered. Police said his DNA and fingerprints were found at the scene.  Continue Reading

SEPTA is proposing price increases on pretty much everything except transfers. Cash fares will go from $2.25 to $2.50 and discounted fares (with a token or Key card) will increase to $2 from $1.80. If approved the new fares would take effect on July 1, 2017.

This increase was supposed to be proposed last year as part of the plan to raise fares every three years, but was postponed for the rollout of the new SEPTA Key program.

Here are the changes in other SEPTA products:

• Weekly TransPass increases $1.50 to $25.50
• Monthly TransPasses increase from $90 to $96
• Disabled fare increases 25 cents to $1.25
• A Convenience Pass goes up a buck to $9 as do Independence Passes, which go from $12 to $13 for an individual and $20 to $30 for a family.

SEPTA will hold public hearings on its proposed 2018 budget (including the proposed fare increases) in April. The one in Philadelphia (others are in Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery and Chester Counties) is scheduled for Monday, April 24 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at SEPTA headquarters, 1234 Market St. Comments can be e-mailed to operatingbudget@septa.org

                                       Click to enlarge.

The Philadelphia Police Department has released surveillance video and is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying an armed suspect who they believe robbed two food trucks in the area on Monday.

The first robbery took place at approximately 6:30 p.m. when an unknown male entered the Halal food truck parked near the corner of 45th and Walnut Streets, armed with a black handgun, and demanded money. He took $500 and fled north on 45th Street toward Sansom. Surveillance video shows the suspect getting out of the passenger side and then getting back into a black sedan parked near the corner of 45th and Sansom.  Continue Reading

Starting Monday, March 13, SEPTA customers can fully transition to paying for their rides with a Key Card (just tap and go!). SEPTA is expanding the Travel Wallet feature to Market-Frankford Line, Broad Street Line and major bus loop fare kiosks, and riders will be able to purchase a Key Card at fair kiosks and load it with money starting on the following dates at the following Market-Frankford Line stations in West Philly (Note: SEPTA Key Cards and Travel Wallet are already available at 69th Street Transportation Center and 1234 Market Street fare kiosks):

Tuesday, March 14

– 30th Street
– 34th Street

Wednesday, March 15

– 40th Street
– 52nd Street  Continue Reading