PHILADELPHIA — Thousands of law enforcement officers from across the country gathered in Philadelphia on Tuesday to mourn Shane Seiber, the officer killed in the line of duty on Oct. 10. Prosecutors allege that an armed suspect opened fire on Seiber and his partner.
During the funeral service at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel announced that Seiber had been posthumously promoted to sergeant.
Seiber spent 10 years with the Philadelphia Police Department after serving a decade in the Air Force, including two deployments to Iraq.
Police officers from Pennsylvania and several other states filled the memorial service as they paid tribute to the fallen officer.
Philadelphia police officers escort the casket of Shane Seiber into the Cathedral Basilica in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/CNP for News Outlet)
Seiber and his partner had been dispatched to West Philadelphia after a report of a man waving a gun. Prosecutors say Eric Lewis came up behind the officers and demanded to know why they were at his doorstep.
Shane Seiber, a 40-year-old father of two and Air Force veteran, served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 10 years. (Philadelphia Police Department)
An argument reportedly escalated into a physical confrontation before Lewis allegedly fired, hitting Seiber three times and his partner 12 times. Lewis was arrested following a standoff with SWAT officers. Authorities say he had two handguns — including one belonging to the officers — as well as a shotgun.
Officers escort the casket of Philadelphia police Officer Shane Seiber into the Cathedral Basilica in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/CNP for News Outlet)
FOX 29 Philadelphia identified Seiber’s partner as Officer Hector Rodriguez III, a 33-year-old father of five. Rodriguez survived the shooting.
The casket holding the body of Philadelphia police Officer Shane Seiber is carried from the Cathedral Basilica in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/CNP for News Outlet)
Members of the Philadelphia Prison Guard Honor Guard stand outside the Cathedral Basilica during a tribute to fallen Philadelphia police Officer Shane Seiber in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/CNP for News Outlet)
Lewis, 35, had previously been acquitted in a murder trial, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said. Krasner characterized the earlier case as the product of a “deeply flawed” investigation.
A Bucks County sheriff’s deputy mourns outside the Cathedral Basilica as law enforcement officers gather to honor fallen Philadelphia police Officer Shane Seiber in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/CNP for News Outlet)
During her eulogy Tuesday, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced the city would establish an annual public service internship program in Seiber’s memory. She remembered him as “a giant of a man” and “clearly a gentleman of the first class.”
New Jersey State Police officers gather outside the Cathedral Basilica to honor fallen Philadelphia police Officer Shane Seiber in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/CNP for News Outlet)
Parker also highlighted Seiber’s military background, noting that he served in the Air Force and completed two tours in Iraq before joining the Philadelphia Police Department.
Law enforcement officers attend the public viewing for Philadelphia police Officer Shane Seiber at the Cathedral Basilica in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/CNP for News Outlet)
Members of the West Chester Police Honor Guard gather outside the Cathedral Basilica to honor fallen Philadelphia police Officer Shane Seiber in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Seiber was killed in the line of duty and remembered during a funeral service. Credit: Kyle Mazza/CNP for News Outlet ( )
Seiber is survived by his wife, Lisa, and their two children, Finn, 7, and Emily, 3.
East Brunswick, New Jersey, officers gather outside Cathedral Basilica to honor the life of the late Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seiber in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Police Officer Shane Seiber will be remembered at a funeral service after being killed in the line of duty. Credit: Kyle Mazza/CNP for News Outlet ( )
The casket of the late Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seiber is escorted into Cathedral Basilica in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. (Kyle Mazza/CNP for News Outlet)
