Knife Wielding-Man Who Lunged At Cops Charged: Philly Police

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Police have identified the man they said lunged at officers while armed with a knife, leading to him being shot, on New Year's Eve.

Authorities said Keith Freeman, 31, is charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, possession of an instrument of crime, and recklessly endangering another person in connection with the incident.

The scene unfolded at about 2:51 a.m. at a property on the 1800 block of North Bailey Street in the city's Strawberry Mansion neighborhood.

Officers were called to the area for a report of a person screaming, and when they arrived they heard arguing and a female voice yelling in the property.

They knocked on the door, but one answered initially. Eventually, a child opened the door and let the officers in, police said.

There, they saw a man, later identified as Freeman, armed with a knife standing over a woman, who was on the floor, according to authorities.

The officers told Freeman to drop the knife, but police said he started coming at the officers, jumping over a sofa, while still armed with the knife.

One of the officers, identified as 26-year-old Nicholas Jones, fired one round at Freeman, striking him in the chest, police said. Freeman was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he underwent surgery while in critical condition. It's unclear what condition Freeman is in as of Tuesday.

No one else was hurt in the incident.

Jones is assigned to the 22nd Police District and has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation, per department protocol.

The investigation is being handled by the Officer-Involved Shooting Investigation Unit, the Internal Affairs Bureau, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.