Man Charged In Ambulance Police Chase: Philly Cops

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Police said the partially naked man who led police on a more than hour-long chase in a stolen ambulance after being shot three times is facing numerous charges in connection with Friday night's incident.

According to police, Mark Giwerowski, 42, of Philadelphia, has been charged with robbery, car jacking, unauthorized use of a vehicle, fleeing police, accident involving death or injury, aggravated and simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and related charges.

The charges stem from an incident that began just before 9 a.m. on Friday on the 7600 block of Roosevelt Boulevard.

Security at a hotel in that area saw a woman running from a room and screaming for help. Security officers helped her reach a safe location and called 911.

Police said the hotel security saw a shirtless man, later identified as Giwerowski, leave the same room with a bloody face.

Medics arrived at the hotel and started giving Giwerowski first aid, but he became combative, which led medics to call police, police said

When police arrived Giwerowski was yelling then ran toward the ambulance, got inside it, tried to drive off and struck Officer Timothy Kelley, a 27-year department veteran, with the ambulance door, police said.

Kelley ordered Giwerowski out of the ambulance, but he refused and drove toward Kelley, which led Kelley to fire at Giwerowski. Kelley struck Giwerowski through the driver's side door, police said.

Giwerowski then grove south on Roosevelt Boulevard which led to an hour-plus long chase with police.

While eluding police, Giwerowski struck an occupied civilian vehicle near Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard but kept going only to strike an unoccupied police vehicle at Tyson Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard, and two unoccupied police vehicles at 6100 Frankford Ave., according to police.

The ambulance was still driveable, Pennsylvania State Police used spike strips to flatten the ambulance tiresm police said.

Giwerowski kept fleeing police until he got to the 2700 block of Tolbut Street where he had a struggle with police before being taken into custody after being tased, according to police.

Giwerowski was taken to Jefferson-Torresdale Hospital, and listed in critical condition with three gunshot wounds to his lower extremities.

Kelley was taken to Nazareth Hospital where he was treated and released.

The occupants of the vehicle that was struck by the Medic Unit at Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard were also taken to the hospital.