A Philadelphia police officer is under investigation after newly obtained surveillance footage showed the officer leaving a 48-year-old man in the roadway shortly before a passing vehicle struck and killed him.
The incident happened around 1:40 a.m. on Aug. 27 on the 5500 block of Rising Sun Avenue in Philadelphia’s Olney neighborhood. Police said the officer had initially stopped after encountering the man walking in the bike lane with an “unsteady gait.”
The video, obtained by Action News, shows the officer pulling over and positioning the police vehicle to block the intersection. The officer appeared to speak with the man after he fell. It remains unclear what the two discussed.
After roughly a minute, the officer returned to the vehicle and drove away. The man remained on the roadway, partially in the bike lane and partially in the lane used by traffic.
Minutes later, another vehicle approached. A driver initially appeared to notice something in the road and stopped. A second driver then went around that vehicle and struck the man.
The driver did not stop. The man died from his injuries.
Police sources told WPVI on Wednesday that they found the green Kia that they believed was involved in the hit-and-run. The car is now at the police impound lot. Investigators have also found a person they believe was the driver.
Officer’s Conduct Under Reveiw
The officer who first encountered the man was also the first officer to respond after the crash. Investigators said he did not provide medical assistance, secure the scene, or file a report about the earlier encounter, as per CBS Philadelphia.
Police have since placed the officer on administrative leave. The department’s Internal Affairs unit is investigating whether the officer failed to properly assist the man or report what happened.
First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford said the footage raised serious concerns about the officer’s conduct.
“What we can see on the video doesn’t fall in line with our practices as a police department,” Stanford said to Action News.
Stanford also described the incident as “troubling” and said it “goes against everything that we stand for.”
“We talk about empathy. We talk about compassion as an organization, and none of those things were on display,” Stanford said.
An Unlikely Witness
The department learned about the incident after investigators received surveillance footage following a notification from the medical examiner’s office. That footage ultimately helped investigators reconstruct what happened before the deadly crash.
Fernando Suarez, a business adviser who provided surveillance footage to WPVI, said the case shows why residents and businesses should consider installing cameras.
“The truth. I love the truth. I love protecting ourselves and doing the right thing,” Suarez told the station.
Suarez said he operates 16 cameras and believes surveillance footage can play an important role when investigators need to determine what happened.
“The whole city benefits because if we don’t protect ourselves, who’s going to protect ourselves?” he said.
The investigation now involves two separate questions: who was behind the wheel of the vehicle that struck the man and whether the police officer properly handled his initial encounter with him.
Police said other people were in the area around the time of the crash. At least one person apparently spoke with the man after the officer left but before he was struck. Investigators are also working to locate the victim’s family.
Authorities are asking anyone who knows anything about the crash to contact Philadelphia police. The hit-and-run driver remains unidentified, while the Internal Affairs investigation into the officer’s actions continues.
