Two police officers are in critical condition after being shot multiple times in an ambush in West Philadelphia, US, authorities say. The officers, aged 40 and 33, were responding to reports of a man with a gun on the 100 block of North 52nd Street at about 00:20 local time on Saturday when they came under fire, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J Bethel said. The 40-year-old officer was shot three times, while the 33-year-old was shot 12 times, Bethel said. Both were undergoing surgery at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Their names have not been released. Sources identified the alleged gunman as Eric Lewis, who works for the Philadelphia Water Department, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Police said the officers from the 19th district were ambushed with a shotgun outside the suspect's home. Two other officers also came under fire when they approached the property, prompting police to call in a SWAT team. The suspect was later found in a tree carrying a shotgun and two handguns, one of which belonged to a police officer, Bethel said. He was taken into custody by Saturday morning. Anaya Brewer, 23, who has lived on the street all her life, said she had never witnessed such a large police presence in the neighbourhood. She said she was woken by the sound of gunshots. "There was shouting and yelling," she said. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L Parker said both officers were "badly wounded" and urged people to pray for their recovery. "Their families right now are feeling unspeakable pain, but watching this department and those families sticking close together as a village has definitely shown me what the indomitable power of the human spirit is and can mean during times like this," Parker said. City Council member Jamie Gauthier described the incident as a "horrific act of violence", adding that "our city will not accept this as normal". Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said on X that his family was praying for the officers. "We are grateful for their courage and service, and we are all hoping for their full and speedy recovery," he said. Rounak is a journalist with over 7 years of experience covering geopolitical and international affairs. He has a keen interest in research and explain... View More