Accused Philadelphia cop killer Eric Lewis faces new federal gun, robbery charges after deadly ambush
The man accused of ambushing two Philadelphia police officers, killing one and wounding another, now faces federal charges.
Eric Lewis, 35, is accused of fatally shooting Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seiber and wounding his partner. He faces a range of state charges, among them murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer, attempted murder, 10 counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and other related offenses.
In addition to the state-level charges, Lewis on Thursday was indicted on federal charges of interstate commerce by robbery, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, theft of a firearm that has moved in interstate commerce, and possession of a stolen firearm and stolen ammunition.
If convicted, the charges bring a statutory maximum of life in prison and a minimum of 10 years.
At a news conference on Thursday, David Metcalf, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said that Lewis wasn't allowed to carry a gun under U.S. law.
"Under federal law, Eric Lewis is not allowed to possess a firearm. He is a convicted felon under federal law. He is certainly not allowed to steal a firearm, and under federal law, he is certainly prohibited from using any firearm to rob, shoot, and kill a police officer, as a result of those actions," Metcalf said.
"No one attacks law enforcement without facing the consequences," he said when the new federal charges were announced.
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The wounded officer, Hector Rodriguez III, who remains hospitalized but in stable condition, was shot 12 times. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 10, when officers were dispatched following a report of a man with a gun. Upon finding the man, who was later identified as Lewis, the officers were met with "significant gunfire."
A short time later, both officers were discovered wounded on the porch.
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Seiber, 40, was an Air Force veteran and father of two who spent 10 years serving with the Philadelphia Police Department. He leaves behind his wife, a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter.
Court records show that Lewis, an employee of the Philadelphia Water Department, has a criminal history that dates back to 2012.
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A 2012 conviction for theft and receiving stolen property marked the start of Lewis' criminal record. The following year, he was convicted of gun-related offenses and simple assault, for which he received probation.
In 2018, Lewis entered a guilty plea to disorderly conduct involving fighting and was again sentenced to probation.
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner earlier in October said that Lewis was acquitted in a previous murder case, blaming police misconduct for the outcome.
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"Why this man was out of custody? The answer is this, this man is out of custody because a balanced, good and fair judge did what he had to do because two absolutely excellent prosecutors did everything humanly possible with a case and an investigation that was so deeply flawed. It was not just full of errors and mistakes, very serious ones, But some of the conduct involving one police officer... And one detective is arguably criminal. Yes, I said criminal," Krasner said.
Krasner said the police officer, who was in a relationship with the defendant's sister, attempted to "torpedo" his testimony "by making up a complete lie."
In a statement to Fox News, the Philadelphia Police Department said, "Assigning blame while families are grieving does nothing to advance accountability or support those affected."
"True leadership does not seek to assign fault in a moment like this. It stands with the families. And when the time comes, it holds itself to the same scrutiny it asks of others," the police department said.
Fox News' CB Cotton, Maria Paronich and Landon Mion contributed to this report.