John was covering the standoff in Philadelphia last night, where an armed suspect had shot six police officers after authorities attempted to execute a warrant for suspected drug dealing. Thankfully, all of the officers survived and as of this morning, they had all been released from local hospitals. The good news is that the suspect was eventually taken into custody without further violence. An attorney who was familiar with the suspect had been in contact with him and was allowed to come to the scene and meet with him in person. He eventually convinced him to lay down his weapon and surrender.

The shooter was later identified as Maurice Hill, age 38. And he has a rap sheet as long as your arm involving not just drug dealing, but gun crime convictions and violently resisting arrest. (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Police sources identified the gunman in a standoff at a Tioga apartment building that left six police officers injured as Maurice Hill, 36, a Philadelphia man with a lengthy history of gun convictions and of resisting attempts to bring him to justice.

The police sources declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak. Reached by phone about 9:30 p.m. Thursday evening, Shaka Johnson, the lawyer who most recently represented Hill, confirmed that Hill had a connection to the standoff…

Hill’s history in the adult criminal justice system began in 2001 when he was 18 and was arrested with a gun that had an altered serial number.

Public records show that he has been arrested about a dozen times since turning 18, and convicted six times on charges that involved illegal possession of guns, drug dealing, and aggravated assault. He has been in and out of prison; the longest sentence handed him came in 2010, when a federal judge gave him a 55-month term.

Even if you believe in the theory of three strikes and you’re out, this guy has long since used up all of his chances. With a record like that and now six cop shootings added to the list, he really has no need to see the outside of a jail cell for the rest of his life. Frankly, after you fire on that many cops, it’s a miracle he was able to leave the building on his own two feet. And if his attorney hadn’t arrived on the scene, he probably wouldn’t have.

In a display of just how much the Philly police have to put up with (in addition to being shot at) “helpful” neighbors of Mr. Hill were seen mocking, insulting and even shoving the police officers on the scene who were trying to take Hill into custody. This is apparently how they treat those who are there to protect and serve. (CBS Philadelphia)

While Philadelphia police officers were dealing with a gunman who shot six of their own during a standoff at a home in the Nicetown-Tioga section, cops also had to deal with being taunted by some bystanders. CBS3’s Alexandria Hoff reports a crowd of people laughed and yelled at officers in the midst of gunfire during a standoff on Wednesday.

A reporter on the scene reported being harassed herself even as neighbors were complicating the job of the police with their disrespectful behavior.

I mentioned this at 10 and since I was harassed during that live shot, I’ll mention it here too. A major moment of disappointment this evening was watching a crowd of people taunt police officers, laughing and yelling at them in the midst of the gunfire. #PhiladelphiaShooting

— Alexandria Hoff (@AlexandriaHoff) August 15, 2019

Philadelphia has been dealing with a sustained spike in gun violence and other crime recently. And if this is the level of support they’re getting from residents, it may be a while before they can get it under control.