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Suspected gunman in custody after six Philadelphia officers shot

By Daniel Uria & Darryl Coote

Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Police said a gunman who shot at least six officers was in custody following an hours-long standoff Wednesday night in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia police Sgt. Eric Gripp wrote on Twitter that the "suspect was in custody" and SWAT was clearing the house where the gunman had held several hostages, including two police officers, during the shootout.

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Earlier, Gripp said SWAT teams had "safely evacuated" two narcotics officers and three other people from the home, but the suspect was still on the premises and armed.

The two Narcotics Strike Force bicycle officers and three other people in handcuffs were held on the second floor of the building before they were extracted by SWAT officers, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Police Commissioner Richard Ross said "stealth" was used to remove the hostages, adding that he didn't think the suspect was aware of the ongoing rescue mission.

Meanwhile, the six officers who were struck by gunfire and had been treated for non-life-threatening injuries were released from area hospitals, Gipp said.

Others were also being treated for non-gunshot injuries, including one officer who was injured in a vehicle crash related to the incident.

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The gunman surrendered to police around midnight shortly after officers fired teargas into the residence, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

"It's nothing short of a miracle that we don't have multiple officers killed today," Ross said during a press conference after the hostages had been evacuated.

The shootout began at 4:30 p.m. as narcotics officers were attempting to issue a warrant at a North Philadelphia home, according to authorities.

Ross said officers were trying to get the suspect to exit the home peacefully, but he was refusing to do so.

Some of the officers were in the kitchen when the gunman began firing, Gripp said, adding, "many of them had to escape through windows and doors."

One officer received a wound to his head when it was grazed with a bullet, he said.

Before the standoff concluded, police attempted to communicate with the suspect, but he would only answer the phone and not speak while continuing to fire shots from the windows of the home, hitting a SWAT truck and homes across the street.

Temple University announced that shots were fired at the Health Sciences Center Campus and issued a lockdown for the area that lasted about three hours.

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"Seek shelter. Secure doors. Be silent. Be still. Police are responding," the university said on Twitter.

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