Eagles Surprise Philadelphia Police Officers Injured in Nicetown-Tioga Shooting

The Philadelphia Eagles have always gone above and beyond when honoring the military and the city’s first responders. On Thursday, they continued their strong tradition of supporting those that serve us when they presented the six police officers wounded in the tragic Nicetown-Tioga shooting with game balls.

The Philadelphia Police Department saw six officers shot in the line of duty last week from that scary scene in North Philadelphia. The cops were wounded when a deranged gunman barricaded himself in a row home for seven hours, intermittently spraying the neighborhood with bullets and injuring six officers in the process as the shooter’s attorney tried to negotiate a surrender.

The suspect, 36-year-old Maurice Hill, was finally arrested shortly after midnight on August 14. According to 6abc, the damage could have been a lot worse after an assault rifle was recovered from the crime scene. These are the names of the officers injured in the fray:

– Police Officer Joshua Burkitt, 26, a 2-year veteran assigned to the 24th District sustained a gunshot wound to the left hand
– Police Officer Michael Guinter, 32, a 12-year veteran assigned to the Narcotics Strike Force, sustained gunshot wounds to both arms
– Police Officer Shaun Parker, 32, an 11-year veteran assigned to the Narcotics Strike Force, sustained a graze wound to the head
– Police Officer Nathaniel Harper, 43, a 19-year veteran assigned to the Narcotics Strike Force, sustained a gunshot wound to the left leg
– Police Officer Ryan Waltman, 42, a 12-year veteran assigned to the 39th District sustained a gunshot wound to the right hand
– Police Officer Justin Matthews, 31, a 3-year veteran assigned to the 16th District, sustained a graze wound to the left leg

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner told reporters that Hill had a hefty police record, including drug, gun and robbery charges. He also admitted that the shooter probably shouldn’t have been on the street.

“I think it’s fair to say the criminal justice system, imperfect as it is, did not stop this terrible incident,” Krasner told reporters.

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Eagles Players Express Support for Injured Cops

Several Eagles players displayed their gratitude and support for the six police officers injured from the incident in the Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood. The heart-warming posts came flooding in on social media and have been all week from all across the roster. Here is a quick sampling of their posts:

The Eagles have a few days off before returning to the field next Thursday, August 29 for their final preseason tune-up against the New York Jets. With the starters getting some reps in versus Baltimore, the last game will be a final shot for rookies, backups and veterans trying to make the final 53-man roster.

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