Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 10/29/07 Section: News
One dead, two injured in shooting
Cop hit by gunfire outside nightclub at 38th and Chestnut streets early Sunday morning
Katie Karas
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Lamar Bembry, a 21-year-old resident of the 5400 block of Race Street, was shot and killed by police during a gunfight outside of Koko Bongo nightclub, located just off the edge of campus, Philadelphia Police Homicide Sgt. Charles Coan said.
Philadelphia Police officer Sandra Van Hinkel and another bystander were struck by bullets during the melee, in which dozens of shots were fired.
Van Hinkel was hit in the right leg by a bullet. She was treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and released shortly thereafter.
The other victim, a 34-year-old man who was sitting in his car in traffic on 38th Street, was struck by stray bullets in the face and shoulder. Police declined to release his name because he is a potential witness.
He is in stable condition at HUP.
Bembrey was shot by police once in the chest after brandishing a gun and firing it into the crowd while leaving the club. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident took place as police were trying to disperse the crowd of 200 to 300 people leaving the club at about 2:00 a.m. Coan said there were no reports of an argument or fight inside the club before the shooting began.
"There was really no altercation," he said. "Basically, the police were moving the crowd, trying to get the traffic flowing, when one male produced a gun and started firing in the direction of the police."
Police were already patrolling outside of the nightclub because there had been previous incidents at that location. They returned fire when the shooting began.
Several clubgoers were visibly shaken following the shooting, and some argued with police officers about the police's role in the incident.
Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 9
Penn parent alum
posted 10/29/07 @ 7:08 AM EST
GUN CONTROL, gun control, gun control. A huge thank you to the police for containing the incident and the creature who could have killed them and others. (Continued…)
Another Penn parent alum
posted 10/29/07 @ 7:50 AM EST
Gun control is not really the answer to this problem. Notice how Maureen Rush blames this incident on the city of Philadelphia. This is her answer to everything. (Continued…)
Another Parent
posted 10/29/07 @ 9:57 AM EST
I also notice Penn is always out of the loop when it comes to neighborhood safety despite the big security budget. The Penn Police is not even mentioned here in the story. (Continued…)
MA Penn Parent
posted 10/29/07 @ 10:22 AM EST
Perhaps it's time for a gun control demonstration by the countless students attending schools in the greater Philadelphia area. If it's done right, the citizenry also held hostage by the appalling gun laws will join in and demand answers from those who have created and maintained the status quo. (Continued…)
Jason
posted 10/29/07 @ 11:08 AM EST
Gun control only keeps guns out of the hands of law-obiding citizens. More guns are the answer. Why do you think criminals prey on Penn students? They know they won't fight back. (Continued…)
KoKo
posted 10/29/07 @ 2:08 PM EST
This bees just another afro-american incident!
Local resident
posted 10/30/07 @ 8:39 AM EST
The comment attributed to Maureen Rush troubles me. The other Phila. cop Coan contradicts Rush's "another example" of an argument that spilled out to the street. (Continued…)
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