After Philadelphia police shootings, Chaput calls for 'sensible solutions' to violence

Philadelphia, Pa., Aug 15, 2019 / 14:25 pm

After a standoff between police and a gunman in Philadelphia yesterday, in which six officers were shot, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia has praised the work of the responding officers and called for solutions to root causes of violence.

"The terror that filled yesterday serves as a stark reminder not only of the fragility of life but also of the clear and present danger that illegal drugs and illegally obtained firearms pose to our community," Chaput said in a statement.

"In addition to our prayers, let's work together toward sensible solutions that address the root causes of continued violence and seek to lift up those struggling with addictions."

According to NBC News, police were attempting to serve an arrest warrant at a house in northern Philadelphia on Wednesday when the suspect, who had prior arrests for undisclosed infractions, opened fire.

Hours later, shortly after midnight on Thursday, the suspect surrendered and was taken into custody. All the officers that had been shot were released from the hospital late Wednesday night, including an officer and father who suffered a graze wound to the head, NBC reported.

"We should all be grateful for the daily self-sacrifice of our law enforcement community as well as the perseverance and professionalism of those who worked to bring yesterday's standoff to an end without loss of life or further violence," Chaput noted.

The standoff came less than two weeks after mass shootings left 31 people dead in an El Paso Walmart and Dayton, Ohio bar the weekend of August 3-4.

"In reflecting on violent acts in our country a short time ago, I remarked that we'd soon be on to the next crisis-and it unfolded right here in our city," Chaput said, who added that he watched the news of the standoff unfold with "growing anxiety and sadness" on Wednesday afternoon. 

"In the aftermath, let's pray that God will aid the swift recovery of the injured officers, that He will guide the hand of the medical professionals treating them, and that He will pour His comforting grace upon all those suffering burdens of fear and grief," Chaput noted.

"Let us resolve each day to treat our brothers and sisters with dignity, charity, and respect. May we all embrace that which is good so that the light of Christ will prevail in a world where evil often rears its head.