A Philadelphia police officer who was shot 12 times was released from the hospital two weeks after the ambush shooting that also claimed the life of his partner.
Officer Hector Rodriguez, 33, and his partner Shane Seiber, 40, responded to a report of an armed man on a porch in West Philadelphia shortly after midnight on October 10.
Moments after stepping onto the porch, the officers were shot at by 35-year-old Eric Lewis, according to police.
Seiber was struck three times and killed. Rodriguez was shot 12 times but miraculously survived after being rushed to the hospital.
Lewis fled but was arrested after a three-and-a-half-hour manhunt and slapped with more than 80 charges by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. He was also hit with additional federal charges last week.
Rodriguez was released from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center on Saturday morning, four days after his partner’s funeral.
A huge crowd of medical staff, law enforcement and members of the community stood outside the hospital clapping and cheering for the officer as he was wheeled out on a stretcher to return home to his wife and five children.
Police sources told CBS News that Rodriguez had been ‘up and walking’ in the week before he was released from the hospital. The officer and his wife attended Seiber’s funeral on Tuesday after Rodriguez insisted on being there.
Philadelphia Police Officer Hector Rodriguez, 33, was shot 12 times while responding to a call on October 10. He survived and was released from the hospital on Saturday
Rodriguez’s partner, Shane Seiber, 40, was shot three times during the same shooting and died. His funeral took place four days before Rodriguez was released from the hospital
Rodriguez is pictured as he was released from the hospital. A huge crowd of supporters clapped and cheered to support him
First Deputy Commissioner John M Stanford Jr said at a press conference that Rodriguez is entering ‘his next phase of recovery,’ but further details about his condition are unclear.
Stanford Jr added: ‘Two weeks ago, we stood here with tears of sadness as we honored Officer Shane Seiber leaving the hospital and being prepared to be laid to rest.
‘And two weeks later, we’re here today with tears of joy as we are seeing Officer Hector Rodriguez being released from Penn. It’s a roller coaster ride. It’s heavy, but today is a moment of joy.’
Seiber died in the hospital surrounded by family shortly after the shooting. He left behind a wife and two children, a seven-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter.
‘He fought valiantly, but he lost his life today,’ police commissioner Kevin Bethel said during a news conference hours after the attack. ‘This is a brutal, senseless, horrific killing.’
After unleashing a barrage of bullets, Lewis fled down an alley and opened fire on nine more responding officers, none of whom were hit, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said at a separate news conference.
His escape sparked a massive manhunt, with SWAT teams deployed and the surrounding neighborhood placed on lockdown. Lewis was eventually found hiding in a tree at around 3.30am.
Officers took Lewis into custody and recovered a shotgun and two handguns. One of the handguns was Rodriguez’s department-issued weapon, which Lewis had swiped after the shooting, police said.
Rodriguez and Seiber were allegedly shot by Eric Lewis, 35, who has been hit with more than 80 state charges and five federal charges. Police described the attack as an ‘ambush’
Officers are pictured at the porch were Lewis is accused of shooting the officers. Police said that when he fled, he fired at nine other officers who were not hit
A more than three-hour manhunt for Lewis ensued after the shooting, as SWAT teams were deployed and the neighborhood was locked down. Lewis was found hiding in a tree
Lewis was charged with homicide of a law enforcement officer and murder for Seiber’s death, along with 10 counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, attempted murder and other related offenses.
On Thursday, the US Attorney’s Office announced that it also charged the alleged cop-killer with five federal firearm charges.
Those charges include interference with interstate commerce by robbery, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, possession of a firearm by a felon, theft of a firearm that has moved in interstate commerce and possession of a stolen firearm.
Federal prosecutors said that Lewis’s 9mm handgun was a privately manufactured ‘ghost gun’ and that he was not permitted to own firearms because he had previously been convicted of a felony punishable by more than a year in prison.
Court records reveal Lewis has a criminal history stretching back to 2012. In 2015, he admitted guilt to weapons offenses stemming from an incident two years earlier, including carrying a firearm in public.
Lewis was a city employee who worked for the Philadelphia Water Department. The union representing him confirmed his employment to NBC10 Philadelphia.
The union said it was ‘deeply shaken’ by the shooting and that it would fully cooperate with detectives.
Shortly after the shooting two weeks ago, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro released a statement that said: ‘Our law enforcement officers are the very best of us.
Seiber left behind a wife, a seven-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. The family is pictured
‘They put their lives on the line every day, running towards danger to keep their fellow Pennsylvanians safe, not knowing if they will return home.’
‘We owe them our deepest gratitude,’ the governor added before saying that he had ordered the US and Pennsylvania flags to be at half-staff in honor of Seiber.
Online fundraisers have been organized to support the families of Seiber and Rodriguez.
As of early Monday morning, Seiber’s fundraiser has garnered more than $210,000, and Rodriguez’s fundraiser has earned more than $61,000.
