Man Taken Into Custody By Police After Shooting Outside Philadelphia City Hall: During the Monday morning rush hour in the middle of Center City Philadelphia, a driver stepped out of his car, fired a shot into the air, and then sat on the hood waiting to be caught, according to police.
Just before 8 a.m., police rushed to the busy junction of 15th and Market streets.
The man’s Toyota Avalon, according to the police, was stuck in traffic at the crossroads.
Everything was observed by a witness who was nearby working on a sign with a cherry picker.
“You watched a man approach the junction, slam on the brakes, get out, and start shouting. The next thing you knew, he had raised his rifle and fired one round “says the witness.
Action News was informed by witnesses that the man attempted to fire another shot but that the gun looked to be jammed.
The man allegedly broke the rifle into numerous pieces before throwing it to the ground, according to police.
The driver, a Philadelphian man in his 40s, then sat down on the hood of his vehicle.
“Where he was sitting on top of that car is visible as an indentation. He waited patiently for the police to arrive and arrest him. Never engage in combat, “said the witness.
Three deputies from the Sheriff’s Department responded on bicycles, and according to the police, they immediately arrested him without incident.
“We just showed up after he finished, without asking him why he was doing it. He fired the gun into the air, and everyone immediately took action “Sheriff Rochelle Bilal said.
A knife and numerous shot casings were seen on the ground at the site by the Action Cam. It’s unclear if the knife had any bearing on what happened.
No one was hurt, and no neighboring property was damaged, according to the police, but traffic around City Hall was backed up for both cars and pedestrians.
On his way to work, Paul Giordano approached the scene and commented, “We’re lucky no one got wounded.”
I have no idea what was going through his thoughts, he said.
Read Next:
