Philadelphia Ambush Suspect Held Without Bail on 76 Charges

Eric Lewis, a city employee, was arraigned Sunday on 76 charges, including murder, and ordered held without bail, Fox News reports, citing court records. He is accused of ambushing two Philadelphia officers Saturday, killing Officer Shane Seiber and sending his partner to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds.

Fox News reports the charges against Lewis, 35, include murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer, attempted murder, 10 counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault and terroristic threats. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Lewis also faces 10 counts of attempted murder for wounding the second officer and allegedly shooting at nine others who rushed to the block. At his arraignment in Municipal Court he was also charged with disarming a law enforcement officer and carrying a firearm without a license, the Inquirer reports. His next court date is October 26.

The two officers responded to a report of a man with a gun just after midnight Saturday in West Philadelphia and found an armed man on a porch, according to police, Fox News reports. Other officers arrived minutes later and found both officers on the porch with gunshot wounds. The Inquirer reports Seiber was shot three times and died hours later at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and that his partner, a 33-year-old with nine years on the force, was shot 12 times and remains hospitalized.

Police said Lewis was found with two handguns and a shotgun, and that one of the handguns belonged to the wounded officer, Fox News reports. District Attorney Larry Krasner declined at a Saturday news conference to say whether Lewis fired that handgun or how he got the other guns. Lewis is held at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility and is represented by the Defender Association of Philadelphia, whose chief defender, Keisha Hudson, declined to comment, the Inquirer reports.

NBC10 reports court records show prior weapons, theft and disorderly conduct charges. Fox News reports Lewis, a Philadelphia Water Department employee, was convicted of theft and receiving stolen property in 2012 and of gun-related offenses and simple assault in 2013, and received probation in both cases. In 2018 he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct involving fighting and again got probation.

Seiber, 40, was an Air Force veteran who served 10 years with the Philadelphia Police Department, Fox News reports. He leaves behind his wife, a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter.