PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia Police say shots were fired Tuesday night as officers tried to take a murder suspect off the street.
It happened around 5:30 p.m. when officers spotted 29-year-old Spencer Majett near Reach Street and Allegheny Avenue in Kensington.
Police say Majett ran and officers chased him down a narrow pedestrian alley between houses along Custer Street.
“While seated in the back seat, a confrontation occurred between the individual, Mr. Majett, and two police officers,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore.
Police are still investigating exactly what happened, but confirmed that officers opened fire and Majett was shot “once or twice” in the shoulder. Police say Majett was also armed, but an investigation is underway to determine if he exchanged fire.
“He is in critical but stable condition at the hospital. The officers were not injured. It is a very active investigation at this time,” Vanore said.
Majett was wanted for the shooting death of Felicity Vanatta, 23, from Pennsgrove, NJ. According to investigators, she was shot in the chest in the early morning hours of Oct. 8 by a stray bullet allegedly fired by Majett from half a block away.
The Oct. 8 shooting followed a fight outside Steak and Beer in the 2700 block of Kensington Avenue. Shortly after the gunfire, police were able to quickly identify Majett as a suspect based on surveillance video.
RELATED: Innocent bystander killed by stray bullet from men arguing in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood
“This is a murder suspect we’ve been looking for for weeks. He has been on the street longer now,” Vanore said.
“This is great police work. They’ve just left, they see someone they recognize. They do what they have to do: try to stop them. He flees and they influenced their arrest and unfortunately they had to use force to do that,” Vanore said.
Police say they will look at officers’ bodycam video and other video footage in the area as part of their investigation.
There is no word yet on charges against Majett, but the investigation continues while he is in the hospital.
As with any officer-involved shooting, an internal affairs investigation is now underway.
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