Philadelphia police shot a man Wednesday morning after he allegedly lunged at an officer with a screwdriver inside a Nicetown station, authorities said.
A female officer fired at least one shot, hitting the 23-year-old man in the torso, just before 9:30 a.m. inside the 39th District headquarters, located on Hunting Park Avenue near Schuyler Street.
He was taken to Temple University Hospital in critical condition but is expected to survive, according to authorities.
The man, police officials said, had approached the window in the lobby of the station, and an officer who was behind the glass could not hear what he was saying because the man was wearing a mask.
When the officer opened a locked side door to the operations room in an attempt to better understand him, the man jumped in and attacked him with a screwdriver, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said.
Authorities said an altercation ensued, with a second officer getting involved in the scuffle to try to pry away the tool. A third officer fired the shot following a struggle that lasted no more than 30 seconds, Outlaw said.
One of the officers was hospitalized with cuts to his head, and another officer received minor injuries. The officer who used her gun did not appear to be injured, according to police.
Other details remain sparse, including why the man entered the station and whether officers inside were equipped with tasers.
Outlaw explained that there are a variety of factors that determine whether an officer should utilize force.
“There are a lot of objects that can be used as a weapon that can also be determined to be deadly, and it depends on the ability, the intent, the means and the opportunity of that individual with that weapon,” she said Wednesday afternoon.
In accordance with PPD procedures, the officer who shot the man has been placed on administrative duty pending an internal investigation.
