Philadelphia Police Ambush Suspect Faces 76 Charges as Prior Criminal Record Emerges

By Tiffany Williams –

Eric Lewis, the city employee accused of killing Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seiber and critically wounding a second officer, is being held without bail as details emerge about his prior criminal record.

Court documents show the 35-year-old Philadelphia Water Department employee faces 76 charges stemming from the ambush just after midnight Saturday in West Philadelphia.

Lewis is charged with firing at 11 officers, killing Seiber and injuring another. The charges include homicide of a law enforcement officer and murder in Seiber’s death, along with 10 counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, attempted murder, terroristic threats and other offenses, according to court documents.

Lewis was arraigned Sunday, October 11, and denied bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for October 26, 2026, while the allegations surrounding the deadly shooting remain pending.

His earlier cases include theft, weapons offenses and disorderly conduct, according to court records. In 2012, Lewis was arrested on charges of theft by unlawful taking of movable property and receiving stolen property, both of which were downgraded to misdemeanors; he was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to a maximum of two years of probation.

In 2013, Lewis was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors: carrying firearms in public, possessing an instrument of crime with intent and simple assault. Court documents show he was sentenced in 2015 to probation with a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years.

Lewis pleaded guilty in 2018 to disorderly conduct involving a fight. He received a sentence of up to 12 months of probation, according to court documents.

Seiber, 40, was a married father of two children, a 7-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter. He had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for 10 years and was also an Air Force veteran who served at Dover Air Force Base from 2007 to 2015.

The new case alleges that Lewis opened fire on officers in an attack that killed a veteran officer and left another critically wounded. His prior convictions are separate from the 76 charges now before the court.