Philadelphia man charged after tossing firearm, fleeing police

A Philadelphia man faces up to 15 years in prison after being indicted on charges of possession of a firearm by a felon after an incident on May 13, 2024, when he resisted arrest based on an outstanding arrest warrant by Philadelphia police, according to Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, of the United States Attorney’s Office. 

According to the indictment, Nafiysh Knox-Schenck, 32, resisted arrest when two police officers attempted to place him into custody due to an outstanding arrest warrant.  During the struggle, Knox-Schenck attempted to remove a loaded firearm from his person, tossing it into the street. A person nearby retrieved the firearm and tossed it into a wooded area. After the altercation, the arresting officers were able to handcuff Knox-Schenck and place him in their vehicle.

While looking to retrieve the firearm, Knox-Schneck was able to escape police custody after someone opened the door to the police vehicle. After his escape, Philadelphia police officers obtained another arrest warrant for Knox-Schneck. They arrested Knox-Schneck on May 15, 2024, with the help of the United States Marshals Service.

The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through a holistic approach of utilizing various levels of law enforcement.