Federal courthouse website Anthony Lombardo was named in federal court records.
Anthony Lombardo was identified in federal court records as the suspect accused of “brandishing edged weapons” at the James Byrne Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 17, 2023.
You can see the federal criminal complaint that names Lombardo here. It accuses Lombardo of “attempted murder and forcible assault of a federal officer and a person assisting such an officer.”
The affidavit says that responding law enforcement officers “observed that Lombardo’s clothing was oddly shaped in that the outline of a square, bulky object was visible beneath his gray hooded sweatshirt.”
According to the affidavit, “This concerned law enforcement personnel that a potential explosive device may be secreted beneath Lombardo’s clothing. That object was later found to be makeshift body armor made of hard plastic.”
Lombardo was accused of flailing his arms and legs at law enforcement officers, telling them, “Let me bleed out,” the affidavit says.
“At 9:30 a.m. a court security officer shot a man who approached the officer brandishing edged weapons at the Jame Byrne Federal Courthouse,” the U.S. Marshals Service’s Philadelphia Office wrote in a tweet.
“The suspect was parked in a restricted zone and was shot after refusing commands to drop the weapons. @FBIPhiladelphia will be investigating.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Suspect Is Accused of Parking in a Reserved Parking Spot Designed for Law Enforcement
At 9:30am a court security officer shot a man who approached the officer brandishing edged weapons at the Jame Byrne Federal Courthouse. The suspect was parked in a restricted zone and was shot after refusing commands to drop the weapons. @FBIPhiladelphia will be investigating.
Rob Clark, the public information officer for the U.S. Marshal’s Service Office in eastern Pennsylvania, said in a news conference that, at 9:30 a.m. on January 17, 2023, the suspect parked a vehicle “illegally” on the west side of the courthouse in a reserve parking space designated for law enforcement and courthouse personnel.
The court affidavit says that, at approximately 9:30 a.m., a white Dodge Caravan bearing Pennsylvania registration “STANVIL” parked “along the east side of North 7th Street, approximately 75 feet south of the vehicle checkpoint for the Federal Complex.”
According to the affidavit, “The area where the Vehicle parked was a prohibited parking zone.”
2. The Suspect Is Accused of Brandishing Two Edged Weapons
BREAKING: Law Enforcement sources tell FOX29 News man armed with a knife was shot by security staff at the U.S. Federal Court Building at 7th and Market Streets. FOX29 News on scene awaiting official update on the situation here. @FOX29philly
In the news conference, Clark said a court security officer approached the suspect. The court affidavit says that the officer, identified only as CSO L.J., “was charged with manning a security checkpoint that served the Federal Offices and Courthouse for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.”
Clark described the suspect as “approximately” a 40-year-old white male.
The suspect exited his minivan and “brandished” two edged weapons toward the court security officer, according to Clark.
3. Video Showed the Law Enforcement Response to the Scene
DEVELOPING: Man armed with knife and possible bomb has been shot by security forces at the US Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Video showed law enforcement officers clustered on a sidewalk and a helicopter flying overhead.
“Within approximately 30 seconds of the Vehicle arriving, CSO L.J. approached the vehicle at the front passenger side,” the affidavit says.
“The operator of the Vehicle, identified as defendant Anthony Lombardo, exited the driver’s seat and walked around the front of vehicle with a large kitchen knife in his right hand,” the affidavit says.
4. The Security Officer Ordered Lombardo to Drop His Weapon, Authorities Say
According to Clark, the court security officer gave multiple verbal commands to the suspect to drop the weapon.
He didn’t comply, Clark said, but rather “continued to advance.”
The officer, who was not identified, feared for his life and discharged his weapon, Clark said in the news conference.
“He approached CSO L.J. at which time CSO L.J. discharged his service firearm, striking LOMBARDO,” the affidavit says.
5. The Court Security Officer Shot Lombardo Multiple Times, Authorities Say
The U.S. Marshals Service says a man was shot multiple times by a Philadelphia courthouse security officer after the suspect approached the officer with two “edged” weapons and refused to comply with commands to stop and drop the weapons.
The court security officer shot the suspect multiple times, according to Clark. The affidavit says that Lombardo “fell to the ground on his knees, driving the knife into the dirt of a tree planter on the side of the road. Lombardo released the knife, leaving it in the ground.”
He was taken to the hospital and into surgery, Clark said, adding that the FBI is handling the investigation into accusations of assaulting a federal officer.
Clark said that officials restrict civilian traffic in that area because they don’t want someone to come into that area with explosives or who could “jeopardize the courthouse.”
He said the court security officers are contracted by the Marshal’s Service, and most are retired police officers or law enforcement officers.
“We believe there were multiple weapons,” Clark said.
He said authorities had not yet interviewed the suspect or court security officer.
According to the affidavit, a witness “observed aid being rendered to the injured Lombardo and saw a second knife recovered from Lombardo’s person. A second witness …. was assisting other CSOs with Lombardo’s apprehension and subsequent aid, and observed the removal of a second knife that was protruding from the sleeve of Lombardo’s left arm.”
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