President Trump tweeted that the man who shot six Philadelphia police officers as they were trying to issue a search warrant to his home should “never have been allowed to be on the streets.”
The alleged gunman, Maurice Hill, 34, fired at the officers Wednesday afternoon and did not surrender to police for hours. One officer was shot in the hand, another grazed in the head, and a third was shot in the arms.
“The Philadelphia shooter should never have been allowed to be on the streets. He had a long and very dangerous criminal record,” Trump tweeted Thursday. “Looked like he was having a good time after his capture, and after wounding so many police. Long sentence – must get much tougher on street crime!”
The Philadelphia shooter should never have been allowed to be on the streets. He had a long and very dangerous criminal record. Looked like he was having a good time after his capture, and after wounding so many police. Long sentence – must get much tougher on street crime!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2019
Hill has a long arrest history since turning 18, with six convictions on charges related to illegal possession of firearms, drug dealing, and aggravated assault. He’s spent time in prison as well, with his longest sentence being when a judge sentenced him to 55-months, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The president’s commentary comes on the heels of a renewed push for gun control legislation after two mass shootings left over 30 dead earlier this month.
Trump has already expressed his desire to reform background checks and to implement red flag laws.
