Trump Cites Philly Standoff, Shooting In Call For Crime Crackdown

PHILADELPHIA — Thursday morning after an hours-long standoff in Philadelphia that led to six officers being shot, President Donald Trump is calling for a crime crackdown.

For roughly seven and a half hours, Philadelphia Police and ATF agents worked to end a standoff situation that started with gunfire on the 3600 block of North 15th Street Wednesday in the city's Nicetown section.

Six police officers were shot during the incident, however all were released from the hospital early Wednesday night.

Trump said on Twitter that the suspect — who has been identified by multiple outlets as 36-year-old Maurice Hill, of Philadelphia — should have not been on the streets and that authorities must be tougher on street crime.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Hill has a long criminal background that began in 2003.

Mayor Jim Kenney said Wednesday as the situation was ongoing he was angered that someone could have enough firepower to keep hundreds of law enforcement officers at bay for hours.

Police were in the area to serve a narcotics warrant, and when they went into the home where the suspect eventually holed up, officers were shot at.

Some escaped the home through windows, others through doors, but two officers were trapped in the home for several hours. Eventually, they were evacuated by SWAT officers.

Four women were also in the home for part of the situation. All were safely evacuated.

The suspect eventually surrendered to police shortly after midnight Thursday when police used teargas on the home he was holed up in.