U.S. marshal shoots man armed with machete in Northeast Philly

A deputy U.S. marshal shot and wounded a man armed with a machete after a Taser failed to stop him Wednesday in Northeast Philadelphia’s Wissinoming section, authorities said.

The U.S. Marshals Service had been seeking the man on a warrant from Abington Township of making terroristic threats against law enforcement, said James Burke, assistant chief deputy at the marshals’ Philadelphia office. After spotting the man’s car, deputies boxed him in with their own vehicles on the 5900 block of Charles Street about 8:15 a.m.

The man, identified only as Joseph Ankrah, got out of his car through the passenger-side door armed with the machete and fled with two deputies in pursuit, Burke said.

In an alley, Ankrah turned on the deputies, Burke said. One tried to stop him with the Taser, but it “had no effect,” he said. The other officer fired several shots when Ankrah continued to advance.

Wounded, Ankrah ran to nearby Wissinoming Park, where he was confronted by other deputies, who demanded that he drop the machete, Burke said. This time, Ankrah dropped the weapon before falling to the ground, Burke and witnesses said.

Ankrah was taken to Jefferson-Torresdale Hospital, where police reported he was in stable condition with gunshot wounds to the right shoulder and upper left back. Burke said the U.S. Marshals Service would investigate the shooting.

After the incident, police cars blocked part of the street while investigators milled about.

Steven Venango, 21, who lives on the block, said he was in bed when he heard successive pops and shouting on the street.

He said he saw a man, apparently a marshal in plain clothes, holding a gun and yelling at a man in a black shirt who was staggering.

“‘Put down the machete. We’re going to get you some help,’” the marshal shouted, according to Venango. The man then collapsed and was quickly surrounded by other men in plain clothes, Venango said.