PHILADELPHIA — A convicted murderer started blasting away in Southwest Philadelphia yesterday afternoon when cops tried to question him about a new case.
Richard Wilson, 59, and four 12th District police officers left a trail of shell casings as they exchanged gunfire on Greenway Avenue and then down nearby Avondale Street, said Lt. Frank Vanore, a police spokesman.
The shootout finally ended when Wilson staggered back onto Greenway Avenue after an officer wounded him in the arm and pelvis, Vanore said, and Wilson was taken into custody.
The drama began at about 2:30 p.m., when two cops spotted Wilson on Greenway near Simpson Street.
Vanore said the officers intended to question Wilson about any connection he may have had to the unidentified woman in her 40s who had been found fatally shot in the head on Cemetery Avenue near 63rd Street about 12:30 a.m. yesterday.
When the officers got out of their patrol car, Wilson shot at their windshield, police said. The cops returned fire, and Wilson dashed down Avondale Street, Vanore said.
A woman officer drove down Avondale Street, only to have Wilson shoot out her rear window. The officer fired three times from her car at Wilson, Vanore said.
When a fourth officer arrived, Wilson and the cop also exchanged gunfire. In the midst of all the gunfire, Wilson was hit with two slugs. He was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in stable condition.
Amazingly, no officers or pedestrians were wounded during the wild gunfight.
"It's a miracle we don't have another dead officer on our hands," Vanore said. "That time of the day, we're lucky no one on the street was hit, either."
According to police sources, Wilson was sent to prison in 1973 on a murder conviction and got out a few years ago. He was arrested in January 2005 on simple assault charges that were later dismissed.
Vanore said Wilson was going to be charged last night with four counts of attempted murder, weapons violations and related offenses.
Police sources said investigators wanted to question Wilson about the dead woman because of information they received from an anonymous tipster in that area.