Philadelphia Police exchanged gunfire with a suspect Tuesday morning, June 5, in the area of Warnock and Norris streets near Main Campus, police said.
The incident began around 1:45 a.m. on Tuesday when a passing motorist noticed that 32-year-old Aziz Salaam’s Buick had crashed through a backyard fence on the 900 block of West Norris Street. As the motorist slowed down, Salaam maneuvered the vehicle out of the yard, and the two vehicles continued driving westbound on Norris Street. Upon reaching the 1900 block of North 10th Street, Salaam allegedly rammed his car into the passing motorist’s vehicle, police said.
Allied Barton bicycle security officers initially responded to the accident scene. As the other motorist approached Salaam’s car, Salaam exited his vehicle, displayed a handgun and began firing at the driver and security officers, who fled the scene and notified Temple Police, authorities said.
After receiving the report from Temple Police, two Philadelphia Police officers arrived on scene and chased the suspect through a breezeway in the Norris Homes community, east of Main Campus. As Philadelphia Police officers pursued the suspect, Salaam turned and pointed his firearm at the officers, at which point both officers discharged their weapons. The suspect was hit three times in the lower right leg and lower extremities, dropped his weapon and was apprehended by police. He was taken to Temple Hospital in stable condition.
Upon investigation, police recovered a .45 caliber Taurus handgun at the scene. Also recovered were ten fired .45 caliber cartridge casings at the scene of the accident, allegedly fired by Salaam at Allied Barton security officers and the other vehicle’s driver before he fled the scene of the accident.
Salaam, of North Philadelphia, has 25 prior arrests, though officers could not yet determine if the prior offenses were related to the incident. Tests are being conducted to determine if Salaam was under the influence of substances or narcotics at the time.
Temple sent out a TU Advisory a few hours after the incident around 6:40 a.m., advising that the suspect was taken into custody by police.
Ali Watkins can be reached at ali.watkins@temple.edu.
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