More than 100 police officers and medical personnel lined up outside Penn Presbyterian Medical Center Saturday morning to honor a Philadelphia police officer as he left the hospital two weeks after being shot in the line of duty.
Officer Hector Rodriguez, 33, was discharged from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center Saturday morning, two weeks after he and Officer Shane Seiber were shot multiple times in West Philadelphia on Oct. 10.
“Great sadness brought us here, but you see great joy today,” First Deputy John Stanford said.
Seiber, 40, was killed after being shot three times, and Rodriguez was seriously injured after being shot a dozen times.
The accused shooter, 35-year-old Eric Lewis, faces charges of homicide of a law enforcement officer and murder in connection with Seiber’s death, as well as 10 counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, attempted murder and other related charges. He is also accused of firing at nine additional police officers during the Oct. 10 encounter.
On Thursday, prosecutors announced that Lewis also faces federal charges in connection with the shooting.
The charges come years after Lewis was acquitted in a separate murder case that is drawing renewed attention, including questions about investigative misconduct that Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said led to his acquittal.
“No one attacks law enforcement without facing the consequences,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania David Metcalf said.
According to court documents, Lewis has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 26, 2026. He remains in custody, with bail set at $2 million.
Earlier this week, hundreds of people gathered for Seiber’s funeral.
Although he had not yet been released from the hospital, Rodriguez attended the service to pay tribute to his partner.
“Thank God you made it through this, and we hope you continue to heal and get yourself back to what you love as well,” Dan Farris, Seiber’s uncle, said during the service.
Seiber left behind his wife and two young children. Rodriguez has a wife and five children.
“For both families, this tragedy reaches into every part of their lives. Our commitment to them extends far beyond these first difficult days,” Philadelphia police wrote in a Facebook post.
