Ricardo Sosa Obituary, Death – Philadelphia police have identified 40-year-old Ricardo Sosa as the man who was killed during a shootout with officers on July 4. The incident took place shortly before 6 p.m. in the 2900 block of Lawrence Street in the city’s Fairhill neighborhood.
According to authorities, four officers from the 25th District were responding to a call about an armed man. As they approached a residence, shots were fired at them from a fenced-in lot next door. The officers quickly took cover behind their patrol vehicle as more gunfire came from inside the house.
Police say Sosa emerged from the home while actively shooting at the officers. In response, the officers returned fire. During the confrontation, Sosa reportedly got into the driver’s seat of an unoccupied police vehicle and continued firing at the officers while attempting to flee the scene.
The officers continued engaging with Sosa, who eventually exited the vehicle and collapsed nearby. He was transported to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:24 p.m.
Fortunately, no officers were injured during the incident.
Investigators recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun from the front passenger side floor of the police car Sosa had entered. The firearm contained two live rounds and one spent casing still in the chamber. Another used shell casing was also found inside the vehicle, suggesting Sosa had fired the weapon while inside the police car.
As is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings, all four officers have been placed on administrative duty pending the results of several investigations. These include internal reviews by the Philadelphia Police Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau and Officer-Involved Shooting Investigation Unit, along with a separate review by the District Attorney’s Office.
The four officers involved in the incident have been identified as:
- Officer Maria Mairone, 28, with three years of service
- Officer Scottie Martinez, 29, with two years on the force
- Officer Ryan Perez, 34, a nine-year veteran
- Officer Carl Szylejko, 32, with seven years of service
All are currently assigned to the 25th District. The police department has not released additional details about what may have led up to the initial 911 call or Sosa’s motivations. Investigations are ongoing.
