A Chester City police officer responding to a domestic-violence call was wounded and a gunman killed in a shootout early Monday, authorities said.
Police Commissioner Joseph Bail said four officers responded to a call for help at 3:50 a.m. at a house in the 1200 block of Culhane Street. When they arrived, Bail said, a woman came out the front door and said her boyfriend was going out the back.
Frank McQueen, 34, left the house with a weapon drawn and aimed at police. Gunfire erupted, Bail said, and police returned fire.
Police Officer Matthew Steward suffered a gunshot wound on the left side of his abdomen, just beneath his bulletproof vest, police said.
He was treated at Crozer Chester Medical Center and released, Bail said.
McQueen, who police said lived in North Philadelphia, died about five hours later at the hospital, Bail said. Bail did not know how many times the suspect had been shot -- only that it was "more than once" -- or by which officer or officers. He said an investigation was continuing.
The woman had secured a protection-from-abuse order against McQueen, who was the father of her child, Bail said.
A 2-year-old and another person were inside the house at the time, Bail said.
Steward is a nine-year police veteran, is married, and has two children. The officer remained calm after he was wounded and called for additional help and an ambulance, said Bail.
"He does a good job," Bail said of Steward.
The suspect, who had 10 previous contacts with Chester officials and several arrests in Philadelphia, was well-known to police, said Bail.
"He had a five-page rap sheet," he said. The suspect's prior arrests included those for drug crimes, weapons violations, and arson, Bail said.
On May 15, the man was arrested for violating the protection from abuse order. He was held until May 28 and then released, said Bail.
Bail said that a PFA is "only a piece of paper," adding, "The legislature needs to put some teeth in this law."
Bail said because it was an officer-involved shooting, county detectives at the District Attorney's Office would join in the investigation.
"As far as we know, everything went according to the book," Bail said.
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