Man accused of ambushing two Philadelphia officers, killing one, faces 76 charges

A Philadelphia police officer is dead and his partner is recovering from twelve gunshot wounds after an ambush early Saturday, and the man accused of shooting them now faces 76 criminal charges.

Eric Lewis, 35, was arraigned Sunday morning on charges that include murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer, attempted murder, ten counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault and terroristic threats. A judge ordered him held without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for October 26.

Police say the shooting began around 12:20 a.m. Saturday, when Officer Shane Seiber and his partner answered a report of a man with a gun and found an armed man on a porch. As the officers reached the porch they came under heavy fire. Other officers and a SWAT team arrived to find both men down with gunshot wounds.

Seiber, 40, served ten years with the Philadelphia Police Department and was an Air Force veteran. His wife reached the hospital before he died. He leaves two children, a son aged seven and a daughter aged three. Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said Seiber fought for his life before he passed. The wounded partner, a 33 year old father of five, was shot twelve times, was first listed in critical condition, and has since been upgraded to stable.

The charges are allegations. What prompted the original call, and what happened on the porch in the moments before the shooting, are questions the investigation and the court proceedings will have to answer in public.