Police officers killed a man Monday night who shot someone during a carjacking and was involved in a high-speed chase that ended on Roosevelt Boulevard, law enforcement officials said.
Just before 7:15 p.m., Jerome Cooper, 51, allegedly shot a 32-year-old man and stole the victim’s Toyota Camry in the parking lot of a self-storage facility near the corner of G Street and Hunting Park Avenue in Juniata, authorities said. The carjacking victim was initially hospitalized in critical condition with a gunshot wound to his stomach, though he is expected to survive, according to the PPD.
At some point during the encounter in the lot, a 29-year-old man allegedly exchanged gunfire with Cooper, who sped away while discharging multiple shots, investigators said. The man, who was not identified, is currently under investigation, police added.
Highway patrol officers spotted Cooper just before 8 p.m. driving the Camry at 2nd Street and Cheltenham Avenue in Oak Lane, according to authorities. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel told reporters Monday night that his department authorized the pursuit, which spanned several miles.
During the chase, Cooper fired at least one shot at officers, in the area of the 700 block of E. Cheltenham Avenue in the Crescentville neighborhood, police said.
6abc posted footage from the station’s helicopter that showed him speeding along Roosevelt Boulevard’s grassy median; driving the wrong direction on the road’s inner lanes; and swerving to avoid multiple vehicles, including a school bus.
The chase ended on the Boulevard’s 4600 block, near Langdon Street and the Northeast Tower shopping center. The PPD said seven officers opened fire when the Cooper exited the car and raised his firearm in their direction. The gun was recovered at the scene, according to investigators.
He was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead a short time later at Einstein Medical Center, authorities said. No police personnel were injured as a result of the incident.
The PPD said all of the officers who fired their weapons were placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of an investigation, which is standard procedure for police-involved shootings. Five are members of the Highway Patrol Unit, while the other two are assigned to the 15th and 25th districts, respectively.
Video was recovered from the officers’ body-worn and dashboard cameras, investigators said.
