PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia police say a man was shot and killed by law enforcement Friday morning after allegedly firing a gun at officers near 21st Street and Ben Franklin Parkway in the city center. According to police, officers responded to reports of a man with a gun in the area shortly after 11 a.m. Authorities said the calls included information that the man had fired the gun before police arrived, although Commissioner Kevin Bethel said investigators had not yet reached that conclusion. He confronted the man using a megaphone, but was unsuccessful. Helicopter 6 was over police activity on Ben Franklin Parkway. “Officers attempted to engage this man on the corner through the bullhorn to establish a connection with him, but were unsuccessful. At some point, the individual fired his weapon,” Commissioner Kevin Bethel explained. Jason Tucker was walking to work along his normal route on the Parkway when he noticed police abruptly arriving in the area. That’s when he saw the man with the gun. “I could see he was waving a gun around and I had a bad feeling it wasn’t going to go well,” Tucker said. “The police came out and as soon as I heard him say to drop the gun, I ran behind a tree in front of the Barnes museum and took cover there.” Authorities said the man then shot at the officers. Police said a SEPTA police officer and a Philadelphia police officer each fired one shot in response, hitting the man twice. Bethel said the man continued to wave and point the gun at the officers as they tried to take cover. Philadelphia Police Press Conference on Fatal Shooting Along Ben Franklin Parkway “The individual continually points the gun, waves the gun and waves the gun multiple times, pointing it at the officers, all officers back away, trying to take as much cover as possible,” Bethel said Investigators said the weapon believed to have been used by the man was a revolver found near park benches at the scene. The shooting occurred on a busy section of the Parkway near several museums. Police said there were initial plans to begin closing nearby museums, but the shooting occurred before those measures could be implemented. Authorities have not publicly identified the man. Investigators said he did not speak to officers during the encounter. Police are still working to learn more about the man and what led to this fatal encounter with police. “We will investigate whether this was a suicide by cop situation,” Bethel said. All of this unfolded in front of passersby throughout this busy area of the city. “We get closer and we see a group of police officers and then we know we heard two gunshots,” said Anthony Ciamaichelo of Northeast Philadelphia. Tucker said he feels sorry for the man, but is grateful that the situation did not end with more people injured. “It was a sad situation, but it could have been much worse. I mean… I walk down the avenue almost every day and at that time of day there are a lot of people, there are tourists every day.” The investigation is ongoing. Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All rights reserved.
