Car Meet Up Ends With Officer Struck, Suspect Shot: Philly Police

PHILADELPHIA — A car meet up along City Avenue on the border of Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township ended after a police chase, an officer being struck by a vehicle, and the suspect being shot by police.

The scene unfolded at about 11:15 a.m. Saturday when police showed up to the parking lot of the Target at 4000 Monument Road just off City Avenue after learning of a potential car meet up there.

While at the scene, Philadelphia Police saw multiple vehicles leaving the parking lot erratically, one being a red Camaro with an unknown Florida registration.

A police lieutenant recognized the driver of the vehicle as, 22-year-old Quron Banks, who police said is known for participating in illegal car meets in Philadelphia, police said.

Police chased the Camaro, but lost on Interstate 76 east due to dangerous speeds, authorities said.

At about 2 a.m. Sunday, a Philly officer and his partner, who was in plainclothes and driving an unmarked vehicle, saw the Camaro parked on the south side of Master Street, facing west towards 9th Street. The officers notified police radio, requesting marked patrol cars to initiate a stop.

The officers pulled along the passenger side of the Camaro. When the uniformed got out of his vehicle, the Camaro immediately went into reverse towards a marked police wagon, then struck a patrol vehicle twice while attempting to flee the location, police said.

Both officers in the patrol wagon got out of it while the Camaro was reversing, and one of the officers was struck by the Camaro, fell to the ground, and struck her head, according to police.

That's when one of the other officers drew his firearm and fired one shot, striking the passenger’s side window of the Camaro, which drove off with officers chasing it, police said.

The Camaro led police to Interstate 95 south.

While fleeing police, the Camaro made U-turns in stand still traffic, striking both civilian vehicles and a police vehicle, authorities said.

The vehicle continued to speed along Interstate 95 south, and police suspended the pursuit due to dangerous conditions.

Police in Upper Darby later found the Camaro unoccupied, with heavy damage. The vehicle was towed by Philadelphia Police.

Banks was later found in Mercy-Fitzgerald Hospital with a gunshot wound to his neck, where he was placed in stable condition.

He is charged with aggravated assault, causing a catastrophe, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, recklessly endangering another person, and related charges, police said.

The officer that was struck by the Camaro was transported to Jefferson Methodist Hospital and placed in stable condition. She has since been released. She is 36-years-old, assigned to the First Police district, and is a one-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department.

The officer who fired his weapon is a 35-year-old, 14-year-veteran of the force assigned to the 26th Police District. He has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the Internal Affairs and Officer-Involved Shooting Investigations.