Philadelphia Police Officer Injured After Struggle With Suspected Rite Aid Shoplifter
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A Philadelphia Police officer was hurt while trying to take a robbery suspect into custody in North Philadelphia early Friday morning.
The robbery happened around 1:15 a.m. at the Rite Aid at 2100 N. Broad Street, just off Temple University's campus.
A security guard spotted a man shoplifting and approached him. Police said the man pulled out a knife on the guard, who then backed off and called police.
About 45 minutes later, an officer spotted a man on foot matching the suspect's description about a mile away at 12th and Huntingdon Streets. The officer got into a struggle with the man, losing some of his equipment in the process. Officers continued to chase the man around the block. The same officer caught up to the suspect a second time and after another violent struggle, took him into custody.
"The officer received a large laceration to his nose this time it appears that he's going to need stitches," said Chief Inspector Scott Small. "I don't know if his nose was broken he is a pretty large cut large cut on his nose and he was bleeding heavily."
From the back of a police cruiser, the suspect declared his innocence.
"Please help me out! They're trying to charge me for robbery!" the man yelled from the backseat of the patrol car.
A robbery suspect stares out from the back of a police cruiser after being taken into custody. He is suspected of shoplifting from the Rite Aid @ 2100 N. Broad, pulling a knife on a security guard, and then injuring an officer trying to arrest him. Officer will be ok @CBSPhilly pic.twitter.com/gO8Otsqmcl
— Trang Do (@TrangKDo) August 17, 2018
The injured officer was taken to Hahneman Hospital for treatment. Police recovered the officer's body camera and part of a stun gun that dropped during the chase.