Churchville PA Man Stabbed, Killed in Fight at Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia
A Churchville PA man was killed during a violent altercation at the popular Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The victim, a 24-year-old male, was exiting a cab at the corner of 18th Street and Rittenhouse Square with three of his friends when the deadly incident occurred. The group had returned from a night of barhopping at multiple Philly bars and was on their way to a nearby hotel. As the victim and his friends got out of the taxi, the 40-year-old suspect happened to walk by. The suspect, who lives in NJ, was in the Philadelphia area to visit friends.
The victim, as well as his buddies, reportedly made a joking comment to the suspect about not wearing a hat with the logo of a Philadelphia sports team. (The suspect was said to be wearing a New Jersey Devils cap.) This comment led to a verbal altercation that soon became physical, with the 40-year-old suspect physically scuffling with the victim.
During the fight, the suspect and the victim reportedly fell to the pavement. The suspect then allegedly took out a knife and stabbed the victim several times. The victim, who is from the Churchville section of Northampton Township, stood up and attempted to walk away from the altercation; however, he collapsed after walking for just one block.
The victim was rushed to nearby Hahnemann University Hospital, where doctors attempted to save his life. Tragically, the victim was pronounced dead a short time after arriving at the medical facility.
According to the commanding officer of the Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Unit, the tragic outcome was “very, very senseless.”
Philadelphia police conducted an investigation into the killing and obtained surveillance video that reportedly shows the suspect “turning around abruptly” and confronting the victim after the initial comments about his NJ Devils hat.
Once the fight ended, the suspect, who is from Blackwood, New Jersey, took himself to a PA veteran’s hospital so that he could be treated for a cut on his hand. He was also reportedly evaluated for mental health purposes. Police officers were dispatched to the hospital after someone, an anonymous individual, called Philly police to alert them to the suspect’s presence.
Police arrested the suspect and reportedly confiscated two knives from him. It is believed that one of the knives is the knife that was used in the fatal altercation.
The suspect faces serious criminal charges for murder, in addition to a criminal charge for the weapons offense of possession of an instrument of crime.
Depending on the outcome of the criminal case, it is also possible that the suspect will be subject to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by family members of the victim. That’s because Pennsylvania law affords people who have lost a loved one to unlawful violence with a means to receive financial compensation for damages that can include medical expenses, funeral costs, and the loss of future income and benefits.
For further information about this personal injury case, access the following article: Fatal stabbing started as fight over N.J. team hat, police say