Man accused of firing at officers while fleeing package theft in Philadelphia: police

PHILADELPHIA - Investigators are searching for a suspect who they believe fired at police while fleeing an attempted package theft last weekend in Philadelphia.

What we know:

Officers from the Philadelphia Police Department on Sunday were called to the 4900 block of D Street for reports of a crowd and a person with a weapon. 

While on the scene, police say officers heard multiple gunshots coming from the 400 block of East Rockland Street and rushed to the location. 

Investigators believe the gunshots happened when a homeowner witnessed someone attempting to steal a package from his front steps.

The 50-year-old homeowner confronted the suspected porch pirate holding a handgun and fired at the ground, causing the suspect to flee.

As the man was running away, investigators believe he fired several rounds back towards the homeowner and continued to flee.

That's when two Philadelphia police officers encountered the fleeing suspect, who investigators say fired his weapon at least once towards the officers.

An unidentified officer returned fire several times, but police say the suspect managed to "evade capture and was lost in the surrounding area."

Investigators believe they found the suspect's .40 caliber handgun and jacket while searching the crime scene on the 400 block of Rockland Street.

No injuries were reported. 

What you can do:

The suspect is described as a light-skinned Hispanic man with a stocky build wearing a brown coat, black pants and light-colored gray sneakers. 

There is a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the unknown suspect's arrest and conviction.