In a late‑night pursuit that is now under the microscope, Philadelphia police are facing an Internal Affairs investigation after officers appear to have slammed into a legally parked SUV while chasing a suspected car thief in the early hours of April 25.
The impact was caught on a neighbor’s surveillance camera. The owner of the SUV did not get a knock on the door or a note on the windshield. Instead, they learned their vehicle had been hit only after the video surfaced. The SUV’s front end was heavily damaged, and it reportedly will not start.
The footage shows officers rolling past as a person runs away, and witnesses say no officer stopped to alert the owner. Jordan Hobson told Action News the SUV belongs to his roommate. He says the two of them later went to the 15th Police District to report what happened. The Philadelphia Police Department put out a statement confirming the matter is now with Internal Affairs and spelling out the rules for officers who hit unattended vehicles while on duty, according to 6abc.
"I was like, 'It wasn't a regular individual. It was an officer. It was a police officer,'" Hobson told Action News. He said the SUV has already been towed for repair estimates and that, in the meantime, the owner has been shelling out for Ubers and rental cars just to get around.
Hobson says the city’s Risk Management office told them to submit paperwork. Risk Management told the station it is still waiting on documents and that, once those are in, it could take at least a month before any payment is issued. 6abc has the full Action News report.
How the city's claims process works
The city’s Office of Risk Management handles third‑party claims and, under state rules, generally treats municipal payouts as secondary to any private insurance. In practice, that means people are usually expected to go through their own insurer first.
As laid out in City of Philadelphia documents, Risk Management also pursues recoveries and is trying to speed up how long it takes to process claims. Those materials help explain why a claim like this can sit for weeks, especially when the office is still waiting for supporting paperwork.
What comes next
Internal Affairs investigators are expected to review the surveillance video, radio calls and any body‑camera footage to decide whether the officers involved followed department policy and whether any administrative discipline or referrals are warranted. The Philadelphia Police Department’s accountability pages outline how that internal review works and the possible outcomes of such probes, according to the department.
For now, the SUV’s owner is stuck without a working car while the insurance claim and Internal Affairs review move ahead.
Action News’ reporting triggered the department’s closer look at the crash. Officials declined to go on camera but confirmed that Internal Affairs is investigating. Neighbors, meanwhile, say the video is another example of why so many residents keep door‑cam and security footage running and why that footage often ends up being the only evidence people have when they try to press a claim with the city.
