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PHILADELPHIA - A 37-year-old man is in critical condition after being shot multiple times by police on the 5100 block of Funston in West Philadelphia on Friday, according to Philadelphia Police 1st Deputy Commissioner John Stanford.
What we know:
A 37-year-old man is in critical condition after being shot multiple times by police on the 5100 block of Funston in West Philadelphia on Friday, according to Philadelphia Police 1st Deputy Commissioner John Stanford.
Police say officers responded around 5:15 p.m. to reports of an armed man in the street and fired after the man pointed a handgun in their direction.
SKYFOX was live over the scene which showed several members of law enforcement investigating the area.
Dig deeper:
Police say when officers arrived, they engaged a man armed with a handgun, who was holding the gun to his head in the street.
The officers secured the area and maintained distance as the man made comments consistent with suicidal behavior and continued to hold the firearm.
The man moved onto a porch where he resides and continued to put the gun to his head, according to police. Stanford said, "At some point, that male points the handgun in the direction of those officers, at which point in time we have a total of seven police personnel that discharge."
Four officers and three supervisors fired their weapons, shooting the man multiple times. Police rendered aid and transported him in a patrol car to Presbyterian Hospital, where he is in critical condition.
Police say officers responded to a domestic incident at the same address the prior evening involving the man and his significant other. Stanford stated, "There may have been a domestic incident that was brewing, again involving this male, which ultimately led to the behavior that we respond to here tonight."
Stanford added that officers attempted dialog with the man for about 15 minutes, trying to get him to drop his firearm and resolve the incident safely. Neighbors reportedly praised the officers for trying their best to communicate.
What's next:
Stanford said Internal Affairs and the Officer-Involved Shooting Investigations Group are investigating the incident. Officers involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative duty while the investigation is ongoing.
Police say the man's firearm did not appear to have been discharged at officers, and the number of times he was struck was not specified as he is still receiving medical attention.
What they're saying:
"From what the neighbors on this block say, our officers did a good job of trying their best to get this male to drop the firearm and trying to have a different outcome," said Stanford.
Stanford confirmed, "He does not discharge his gun. You know, again, we're going to examine the firearm that he has, or that he had out here. But at this point, it does not appear that he discharged at the officers."
Stanford added that more information on any prior police calls or history involving the man would be examined as part of the investigation.
What we don't know:
Stanford said investigators are still determining how many previous police calls have happened at the location and the full background involving the man. The exact number of times the man was struck has not been disclosed while he remains hospitalized.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Philadelphia Police Department.