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Cops probing if Philly man killed in Delaware also drove into cop in Kingsessing

A Philadelphia man was killed by police in Delaware Wednesday night, and investigators were working to determine if he was the same man who ran over a Philadelphia police officer in Kingsessing hours earlier and drove away while a cop shot at the vehicle.

New Castle County Police reported late Wednesday that a 28-year-old Philadelphia man was shot and killed during a struggle with an officer around 7:45 p.m. on the 100 block of Carriage Way. Authorities did not identify the man, but said he was taken to Christiana Medical Center where he was declared dead.

Two Philadelphia police sources, however, said the man killed in Delaware was the same person who allegedly rammed his car into a Philadelphia police officer during a confrontation on the 5600 block of Whitby Avenue in Kingsessing around 5:30 p.m.

The officers tried to intervene, Kinebrew said, but the man jumped into the minivan and the car quickly reversed, striking one of the officers. That officer, whom Kinebrew did not identify, recovered and tried to intervene again. At that point, Kinebrew said, the officer fired at least one shot at the minivan.

Kinebrew said he was not certain whether the officer saw anyone with a weapon, and he did not know whether the bullet struck anyone. Police directives generally prohibit officers from shooting at vehicles unless someone inside is posing a deadly threat "by means other than the vehicle," such as shooting out a window.

The man and woman fled in the minivan, which was later was found unoccupied about three miles away, at Island Avenue and Lindbergh Boulevard, Kinebrew said. Kinebrew added that police were working to determine whether a car crash at Woodland Avenue and Cecil Street was related to the man's escape.

It was not immediately clear how the man made it to Delaware, since police had recovered the minivan.

The officer struck by the car was to be evaluated for injuries Wednesday night, though Kinebrew said he was "up and alert" after the altercation.

Police in Philadelphia and New Castle were continuing to investigate.