A Philadelphia police officer killed in the line of duty Oct. 11 appears to be a Bucks County resident who served on the city police force for a decade, according to authorities and a media outlet.
Officer Shane Seiber, 40, was killed and a second unidentified male police officer was critically wounded shortly after midnight Saturday after they responded to a report of an armed man at a West Philadelphia home.
"He fought valiantly, but he lost his life," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said on Saturday.
When the officers arrived at the location they encountered an armed man on the porch of a home, later identified as Eric Lewis, 35. A struggle between the officers and Lewis ensued during which both officers were shot multiple times,
according to a Philadelphia police media release.
Additional responding officers found both officers unresponsive on the porch and transported them to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where Seiber was pronounced dead hours later, police said.
Additional gunfire followed the initial police encounter, and a barricade was declared and SWAT personnel responded, police said. Lewis was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for evaluation, Philadelphia police said in a media release.
Lewis was charged Saturday with the homicide of a law enforcement officer and related charges including attempted murder and assault of a law enforcement officer. He is being held without bail.
The surviving officer is 33-years-old and has served with the Philadelphia Police Department for nine years and is assigned to the 19th District also since 2018. He remained hospitalized in critical condition Sunday. Philadelphia police offered no updates on the officer's condition Sunday.
Last month Seiber celebrated his 10th anniversary with the Philadelphia Police Department and he served in the 19th District, which covers West Philadelphia, since 2018, the department said.
Seiber leaves behind a wife and two children, ages 7 and 3. ThePhiladelphia Inquireridentified Seiber as a Bensalem resident; available online information also identified a person with the same name living in Bensalem.
Bensalem Director of Public Safety Bill McVey declined to comment Sunday if Seiber is a township resident and referred questions to the Philadelphia Police Department. The city police public information officer did not immediately respond to an email Sunday seeking confirmation.
The Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5 executive board issued a statement Sunday asking media outlets to respect the privacy of the Seiber family after a reporter showed up at his home seeking comment from family.
Local and state elected officials and public agencies on Sunday issued statements and took to social media offering condolences to the officers’ families.
“On behalf of the bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated religious, and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, I extend prayerful condolences to Officer Seiber’s widow, his young children, his other family members, and many friends as they mourn his tragic and untimely death,” Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson J. Perez said in a statement.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker Saturday ordered all flags lowered to half-mast.
“To Officer Seiber’s family, please know that Philadelphia grieves with you and will stand with you in the days ahead,” Parker posted on her Facebook page.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro also ordered all US and Pennsylvania flags flown at half-mast in Seiber’s memory.
“Today we lost one of Pennsylvania’s finest,” Shapirowrote Saturday in a post on Facebook. “Lori and I are praying for Officer Seiber’s loved ones and the entire @phillypolice family as they grieve the loss of one of their brothers in uniform.”
AFSCME District Council 33, the union representing the city’s water department, where Lewis was an employee, issued a statement condemning the act of violence as “not reflective of our values, our mission, or the conduct we expect from our members.”
“Our union stands for dignity, respect, accountability, and responsibility, principles that guide the work our members perform every day on behalf of the residents of Philadelphia,” the statement read.
Crime and Courts Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Philly officer killed in the line of duty may have lived in Bucks County
