The man accused of ambushing two Philadelphia police officers—killing one and seriously wounding the other—now faces federal charges in addition to the state case against him.
Eric Lewis, 35, is charged with fatally shooting Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seiber and wounding Seiber’s partner. His state charges include 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.
On Thursday, a federal grand jury also indicted Lewis on charges of interstate commerce by robbery, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, stealing a firearm that had moved in interstate commerce, and possessing a stolen firearm and stolen ammunition.
If convicted, the federal charges carry a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Eric Lewis faces 76 charges, including murder, attempted murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer and 10 counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer. (Philadelphia Police Department)
David Metcalf, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said at a news conference Thursday that Lewis was legally barred from possessing a firearm.
“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,” Metcalf said as the new federal charges were announced.
Officer Hector Rodriguez III remains hospitalized in stable condition after being shot 12 times. The attack happened during the early morning hours of Oct. 10, when officers responded to a report of a man with a gun. After locating the man, later identified as Lewis, the officers encountered “significant gunfire.”
Shortly afterward, both officers were found wounded on the porch.
The fallen officer was identified as Shane Seiber, a 40-year-old father of two and Air Force veteran who spent 10 years with the Philadelphia Police Department. (Philadelphia Police Department)
Seiber, 40, was an Air Force veteran and father of two who served with the Philadelphia Police Department for a decade. He is survived by his wife, a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter.
Court records indicate that Lewis, who worked for the Philadelphia Water Department, has a criminal history dating to 2012.
His record began with a 2012 conviction for theft and receiving stolen property. The next year, he was convicted of gun-related offenses and simple assault and received probation.
In 2018, Lewis pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct involving fighting and was again sentenced to probation.
Earlier in October, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Lewis had been acquitted in an earlier murder case, attributing the outcome to police misconduct.
“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.
Officers pay their respects at the funeral of Philadelphia Police Sgt. Shane Seiber on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. Seiber was posthumously promoted after he and his partner were shot in the line of duty on Oct. 10. His partner survived the ambush. (Kyle Mazza/CNP for News Outlet)
Krasner said a police officer who was in a relationship with Lewis’ sister tried 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.
