Family speaks out after suspect dies in officer involved shooting

OVERBROOK (WTXF) - A man is dead after investigators say he tried to run down officers with a van overnight. Authorities say those officers opened fire killing the driver.

The incident occurred just before 1:00 a.m. Wednesday morning at Overbrook and Lancaster Avenue. No officers were injured in the incident.

Police say an officer discharged his weapon approximately 6 times by an undercover officer, striking the driver.

The suspect was taken to Penn Presbyterian medical center where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Police Commissioner Richard Ross said Wednesday morning that investigators were early in their investigation, but planned on interviewing both officers and witnesses.

Footage captured by FOX 29 shows the driver's window shattered and a bullet hole in both the front and rear side driver quarter panels.

"I heard somebody yelling I'm stopping I'm stopping and then 4 gunshots in succession,"

"All I heard was freeze stop pop pop pop with flashlights looking for shells,"

It all happened in the Overbrook Farms neighborhood where there are several St. Joseph's University dorms and housing. Police say a student called to report a suspicious minivan casing the neighborhood.

The mortally wounded man's car continued on Overbrook Ave crossing Lancaster Ave until it crashed into parked cars creating a chain reaction.

Mary Ferretti, the mother of shooting victim Richard Ferretti, released the following state to FOX 29.
"We are deeply troubled by what happened. We are waiting for answers. He was just sitting in his car and they shot him. We are not happy. Our attorney will be doing further investigation."

Crime scene investigators marked shell casings while detectives gathered surveillance video from nearby cameras. Both homicide and internal affairs are investigating

Current police policy say officers shall not discharge their firearms at a vehicle unless a person in the vehicle is immediately threatening the officer or another person with deadly force by means other than the vehicle.