A carjacking in Northeast Philadelphia late Wednesday night led to a police pursuit that crossed into West Philadelphia and ended with three teenagers in custody after a patrol vehicle was struck and a shot was fired at officers, according to Philadelphia police.
The incident began shortly after 11 p.m., at approximately 11:35 p.m., at a gas station on the 7200 block of Roosevelt Boulevard, near Cottman Avenue. A 66-year-old man was pumping gas into his Nissan Rogue when two teenage boys approached him. Police said one of the teens was armed with a handgun. The armed teen pointed the gun at the man while the second teen searched his pockets and took his car keys.
Investigators said the two teens had been dropped off at the gas station by a third teenager driving a separate vehicle. After taking the keys, the two suspects fled the scene in the victim’s Nissan Rogue. Police said the third teen initially followed behind in the vehicle that dropped them off, which was described as a getaway vehicle. Authorities later said that the third teen eventually transferred into the stolen Nissan.
The victim was not injured during the carjacking. His cell phone, however, was left inside the stolen SUV. With assistance from a family member, police were able to track the phone’s location. About 20 minutes after the carjacking, officers located the Nissan Rogue in West Philadelphia near the intersection of Girard and Belmont avenues.
When police attempted to stop the vehicle, the teen who was driving did not comply and sped away, striking a marked highway patrol vehicle during the escape. The chase continued for approximately one mile through the area, moving toward Fairmount Park and along the Schuylkill River.
The pursuit came to an end near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Montgomery Drive, close to Belmont Avenue. At that location, police said all three teens exited the vehicle and fled on foot. During the foot pursuit, a 16-year-old boy involved in the incident is believed to have fired a single shot at officers after exiting the passenger side of the vehicle. Police said no officers were struck by gunfire, no police vehicles were hit by bullets, and officers did not fire their weapons.
The teen believed to have fired the shot was apprehended near nearby train tracks, where a handgun was recovered. The other two teens were also apprehended after short foot pursuits in wooded areas and near the tracks.
Police later confirmed the suspects were three teenagers, including one 16-year-old and two 17-year-olds, and all three were taken into custody without injuries.
After the arrests, the 66-year-old victim identified the 16-year-old as the teen who held him at gunpoint during the carjacking. Officers also recovered a spent shell casing from the area where the shot was fired.
The stolen Nissan Rogue was towed from the scene in West Philadelphia. Police observed damage to the vehicle, including a flat front tire and scraping along the passenger side, consistent with the collision during the pursuit.
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said the incident involved an armed carjacking, a police vehicle being rammed, and a shot fired at officers. He confirmed that no officers, suspects, or bystanders were injured and said an investigation into the incident was ongoing.
