Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said police misconduct damaged the investigation and prosecution in a 2019 murder case that ended with Eric Lewis’s acquittal. Lewis is now accused of killing Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seiber and wounding Seiber’s partner.
In a video statement Tuesday, Krasner said a judge had acted appropriately in the earlier case, but described the investigation as seriously flawed. He alleged that an officer involved in the case, who was in a relationship with Lewis’s sister, tried to undermine testimony by lying. Krasner also said an officer fabricated an anonymous tip identifying someone called “Spice” as the actual killer, adding that no such person existed.
Krasner characterized the alleged conduct as potentially criminal. He said the judge notified police internal affairs, and that one officer was fired and another disciplined. He said he did not have additional information about those disciplinary actions.
The Philadelphia Police Department, responding to Fox News, said assigning blame while families are grieving does not advance accountability or help those affected. It said leadership should support the families and later face the same scrutiny it demands of others.
Lewis, 35, faces charges including murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer and attempted murder in connection with the current case. The source report says court records show prior convictions dating to 2012, including theft-related and gun offenses, and a 2018 guilty plea to disorderly conduct involving fighting.
Seiber, 40, was an Air Force veteran and had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 10 years, according to the source. He was a father of two.
The allegations about the earlier investigation are attributed to Krasner; the source material does not include a response from the officers involved or independent documentation of his claims.
