PHILADELPHIA — The manhunt for a “person of interest” in several Delaware murders wreaked havoc Wednesday afternoon in Philadelphia, as three officers chasing the man by car were hurt during a crash on Interstate 95, the suspect subsequently crashed his car into a SEPTA bus, and four schools were placed on lockdown while officers flooded the neighborhood in pursuit.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, 20-year-old Dejuan Robinson was still on the lam, said Capt. Sekou Kinebrew, a Philadelphia Police spokesman. Kinebrew said authorities in Delaware had been seeking to arrest Robinson over a probation violation for a gun case, but that they also were seeking Robinson for questioning in connection with two murders. Kinebrew did not offer further details about those cases, but said police were considering Robinson armed and dangerous.
Kinebrew said police believe Robinson fled on foot after crashing his Acura sedan into the bus sometime around 11:30 a.m.; a bus passenger suffered minor injuries.
Officers then launched a search on foot, by car, and in a police helicopter to look for him.
As a result, four schools were placed on lockdown: South Philadelphia High School, and A.S. Jenks, Bregy, and Fell elementary schools. School officials said Wednesday afternoon that they were staggering dismissal times with the assistance of police.
The chaos began in Wilmington around 11 a.m., authorities said, when police tried to pull over the black Acura with Robinson inside. The car sped off, triggering the chase up I-495 and then north on I-95.
Pennsylvania State Police joined in the pursuit when the car entered Delaware County.
At Exit 13, near Philadelphia International Airport, a cruiser from each agency collided. State police said a trooper and two Wilmington officers suffered minor injuries in the crash, which closed the northbound lanes of the interstate for almost three hours. Wilmington police said the suspect caused the crash when he rammed another vehicle.
Kinebrew said police were not certain whether anyone was with Robinson in the car, but police also broadcast an alert for a man with no front teeth who may have been with him.
