Eric Lewis, the man accused of ambushing and killing a Philadelphia police officer, was acquitted of murder in 2019 in a case the district attorney says was compromised by police misconduct.
Lewis, 35, is accused of fatally shooting Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seiber and wounding Seiber’s partner. He now faces 76 charges, including 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 a video statement Tuesday, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said Lewis was acquitted in a previous murder case because police misconduct undermined the prosecution.
“Why was this man out of custody? The answer is this: He is out of custody because a balanced, good and fair judge did what he had to do, and because two absolutely excellent prosecutors did everything humanly possible with a case and an investigation that were deeply flawed,” Krasner said. “It was not just full of errors and mistakes, very serious ones. Some of the conduct involving one police officer and one detective is arguably criminal. Yes, I said criminal.”
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)
Krasner said a police officer involved in Lewis’ earlier case was in a relationship with the defendant’s sister and tried to “torpedo” his testimony “by making up a complete lie.”
According to Krasner, the officer fabricated a story claiming he had received an anonymous tip identifying someone named “Spice” as the real killer. Krasner said no such person exists.
“This is beyond outrageous. This is giving false information to law enforcement. It’s not the only thing he did to try to get out of participating in the case. It’s obstruction of the administration of justice, and it is, frankly, outrageous, despicable and tragic all at the same time,” Krasner said.
Krasner said the judge notified the police department’s internal affairs unit about the incident. “We need to be clear about what is actually happening here,” he said. Krasner added that one officer was fired and another was disciplined, though he said he had no additional information.
KEEP READING: Hillary Clinton Faces Backlash Over Comments on Livestreamed Execution
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.”
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)
“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 department said.
Court records show that Lewis, who works for the Philadelphia Water Department, has a criminal record dating to 2012.
Larry Krasner, Philadelphia’s district attorney, center, departs after a hearing at City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. (Ryan Collerd/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Lewis’ 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 sentenced to probation.
In 2018, Lewis pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct related to fighting and was again sentenced to probation.
Seiber, 40, was an Air Force veteran and father of two who served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 10 years. He is survived by his wife, a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter.
