A 26-year-old police officer from Philadelphia was critically injured on Wednesday during his response to a fight outside Overbrook High School.
Kevin Bethel, the Police Commissioner in Philadelphia, expressed strong disapproval of the incident. He characterized it as a dangerous reflection of poor decisions by adults that endanger lives.
During a press briefing on Wednesday evening, Bethel was candid in his criticism of a 30-year-old man who has since been arrested for allegedly possessing a gun at the school fight and discharging it.
“There’s been fights at the school that happened since I was a kid,” Bethel said. “But what I never would do was call an adult to my fight. And then when you are an adult, you’re a d— adult. And you’re supposed to know that.”
A rookie police officer was shot in Philadelphia on Wednesday. He was breaking up a fight near a high school. (FOX 29 Philadelphia)
“We constantly are encouraging parents, it can’t just be us. Can’t be just [Superintendent] Dr. B. Watlington and the school district,” said Bethel. “Parents are engaged in this process. But when a 30-year-old man comes to a fight with children, what the h— are they gonna do?”
“And then you bring a gun. So you’re a coward anyway. You’re gonna come to the fight, come to fight. But you bring a gun and then you fire the weapon. Anyone could have been injured. Unfortunately, my officer is the one who was injured in this case.”
No other injuries were reported.
As for the adult suspect, Commissioner Bethel said: “You’re supposed to be the one who has to come in there to de-escalate, not escalate.”
