Soros-Backed Philly DA Blames Police Misconduct in Cop Killer Case

Eric Lewis, accused of ambushing Philadelphia police officers and killing one of them, was acquitted of murder in 2019. The district attorney now says police misconduct compromised that earlier case.

Lewis, 35, is accused of fatally shooting Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seiber and injuring 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’s earlier murder acquittal resulted from police misconduct that damaged the case.

“Why was this man 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,” Krasner said. He added that the case contained serious errors and alleged that the conduct of one officer and one detective was “arguably criminal.”

Krasner said an officer involved in the earlier case had been in a relationship with Lewis’s sister and attempted to undermine the officer’s testimony by “making up a complete lie.”

According to Krasner, the officer fabricated a claim that he had received an anonymous tip identifying someone named “Spice” as the actual killer. Krasner said no such person exists.

“This is beyond outrageous. This is giving false information to law enforcement,” Krasner said. He described the conduct as an effort to avoid participating in the case and said it amounted to obstruction of the administration of justice, calling it “outrageous, despicable and tragic.”

Krasner said the judge alerted police internal affairs about the incident. He said one officer was fired and another disciplined, but added that he had no additional information.

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.”

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Press Secretary’s First Briefing Receives Devastating Verdict

“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 worked for the Philadelphia Water Department, has a criminal record dating to 2012.

Lewis’s 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 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.