Philadelphia DA cites police misconduct in case of accused cop killer

<p>Eric Lewis, the man accused of killing a Philadelphia police officer in an ambush, was acquitted of murder in 2019 in a case that Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner claims was undermined by police misconduct.</p><p>Lewis, 35, is charged with fatally shooting Officer Shane Seiber and wounding his partner. The charges against him include murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer, attempted murder, 10 counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault, and terroristic threats.</p><p>In a video statement on October 13, 2026, Krasner stated that Lewis was acquitted in a previous murder case due to police misconduct. He said, "Why this man was 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. It was not just full of errors and mistakes, very serious ones, but some of the conduct involving one police officer... and one detective is arguably criminal. Yes, I said criminal."</p><p>Krasner alleged that the police officer involved in the earlier case was in a relationship with Lewis' sister and attempted to undermine his testimony by fabricating a story. He claimed that the officer invented a narrative about receiving an anonymous tip naming a person called "Spice" as the real killer, stating that no such person exists.</p><p>Krasner described the actions as "beyond outrageous" and characterized them as obstruction of justice. He noted that the judge had informed police internal affairs about the incident, resulting in one officer being fired and another disciplined, although he did not provide further details.</p><p>The Philadelphia Police Department responded to Krasner's comments, stating, "Assigning blame while families are grieving does nothing to advance accountability or support those affected. 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."</p><p>Court records indicate that Lewis has a criminal history dating back to 2012, including convictions for theft, gun-related offenses, and disorderly conduct. Seiber, 40, was an Air Force veteran and father of two, having served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 10 years.</p>