Who was Lawrence Packard? Jenkintown Man Killed in Shootout with Philly SWAT

Lawrence Packard Jenkintown Pa was a 73-year-old American man who was shot and killed by Philadelphia police during a stand-off.

Packard, driving a pickup truck during the time of the standoff, engaged SWAT in a shootout which led to his death as he was gunned down.

The incident occurred on Roosevelt Boulevard on Wednesday morning, January 17th 2024.

Police responded to a crash involving a Dodge Ram pickup truck which Packard was driving.

After he was approached by an officer, the 73-year-old for some reason started shooting, sparking off a standoff which eventually led to his death.

Police eventually identified the deceased on Friday as Lawrence Packard of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.

In this article, we break down all we know about the standoff.

Who was Lawrence Packard Jenkintown Pa?

lawrence packard jenkintown pa

Lawrence Packard Jenkintown Pa was a 73-year-old American man who was shot and killed by Philadelphia police during a stand-off.

Packard, a truck driver, was killed by Philadelphia Police during a standoff on Wednesday, January 17th 2024.

According to public records, he was a licensed electrician in Philadelphia working as a ‘Facilities Services professional’.

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Lawrence Packard Jenkintown Pa, 73, died in a shooting standoff with SWAT officers in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia police initially responded to a crash involving a Dodge Ram pickup truck just before 5 a.m. just off the Boulevard at Borbeck Avenue – near Gary Barbera’s on the Boulevard car dealership and Aldi — in the Rhawnhurst section of Northeast Philadelphia.

The truck had two wheels on the sidewalk and two on Borbeck Street, Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said hours later.

A patrol officer spoke to the truck driver — a man believed to be in his 70s (Lawrence Packard of Jenkintown Pa) — who said everything was OK.

“The officer returned to his patrol vehicle and began to drive away at which time he believed to hear two gunshots,” Vanore said.

The officer approached the truck again and at that moment realized that Packard was brandishing a weapon.

The officer then returned to the scene and took a tactical position behind the pickup, then called for backup.

Once those other officers arrived, a barricade situation was declared and the SWAT team was called.

Responding officers declared a barricade, established a perimeter and called in a SWAT team for help.

Packard kept getting more hostile during the barricade situation – firing his gun towards the officers while he was sitting inside the pickup truck.

Vanore said Packard also “started throwing things from the vehicle” during the barricade.

As the SWAT officers experienced more gunfire, two of the SWAT officers returned fire toward the truck, hitting Lawrence Packard Jenkintown Pa and killing him.

However, authorities are yet to discover whose bullet actually ended the belligerent 73-year-old’s life.

“We don’t know, as far as, who struck who,” Vanore said.

Medics were later called in a declared Packard dead.

Authorities then retrieved his weapon from his vehicle.

A witness told NBC10 the shootout lasted about 20 minutes and that flash bangs were used during the shootout.

“It was intense,” Evan Crookham said, while noting he ducked for cover after hearing gunshots. “I have never experienced anything like that was pretty nuts. It was like a small warzone over there.”

No officers were hurt. “They are very lucky today,” Vanore said.

“Very relieved cause it could have been worse,” Gary Barbera said, while noting the “amazing job” police did to limit injuries to any bystanders.

Officers involved in Lawrence Packard Jenkintown Pa shooting identified

 Lt. William Schmid, 42, and Officer Patrick Saba, 38, identified as officers involved in shooting of Lawrence Packard Jenkintown

Philadelphia Police on Friday identified the man who was fatally shot by SWAT officers during a standoff near Roosevelt Boulevard earlier this week as 73-year-old Lawrence Packard of Jenkintown.

The identities of the two officers involved in the shooting were also confirmed as Lt. William Schmid, 42, a 21-year veteran of the force; and Officer Patrick Saba, 38, a 17-year veteran. Both were assigned to the SWAT unit, police said.

Police are yet to make sense of the shooting, including why Packard, randomly shot at two different sets of officers who approached his vehicle — first a patrol officer, then the SWAT team.

A relative of Packard’s said by phone Friday that her family did not want to comment, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said investigators “haven’t really found a true motive” for Packard’s actions.

Police statement on the Lawrence Packard Jenkintown Pa shooting…

The incident began just before 5 a.m., when a patrol officer responded to the 7800 block of East Roosevelt Boulevard looking for a reported car crash. Instead, the officer — whom police did not identify — noticed a truck parked on nearby Borbeck Avenue with its horn steadily blowing.

The officer approached the truck and spoke with Packard, but, after deciding Packard didn’t need assistance, drove away. The officer then heard gunshots coming from behind his patrol car.

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His car wasn’t struck, but he drove back and noticed Packard seated in his truck with a gun in his hand. The officer called for backup.

SWAT officers arrived and declared the scene a barricade. “During the barricade incident, Packard fired in the direction of officers while still seated in the truck,” police said.

Authorities said Packard shot at Schmid and Saba, who returned fire, fatally wounding him. Packard was declared dead at the scene around 6 a.m.

A revolver was later recovered inside Packard’s truck, and the vehicle had at least seven bullet holes in the front windshield.

The patrol officer’s bodycam was on during the episode, but police said it “did not capture the shooting itself.”

Schmid and Saba will be placed on desk duty as police continue their investigation.

Jenkintown

Lawrence Packard, as mentioned, hailed from Jenkintown Pa.

Jenkintown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Center City Philadelphia.

The community was named for William Jenkins, a Welsh pioneer settler.

Jenkintown is located just outside Philadelphia along the Route 611 corridor between Abington and Cheltenham Townships.

The borough was settled in about 1697 and incorporated on December 8, 1874 when approximately 248 acres (1.00 km2) was taken from Abington Township. Today, the Borough is approximately 0.58 square miles and is home to 4,500 residents.

The borough is a mostly residential community that is separated into East and West by the Business District that runs along and surrounds Old York Road (Route 611) corridor.

On the east side of Old York Road, residential development is predominantly characterized by larger detached single-family homes on lots larger than the Borough average. On the southeast side of York Road, there is a small mixed concentration of row homes, duplexes, and single-family residences.

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The majority of the residential development, however, is located to the west of York Road.

This area consists of a traditional small town mix of detached single-family homes, duplexes, and row homes. Located throughout this area are several multi-family apartment buildings that are residential condominium or rental properties.

At the center of this residential area are the Jenkintown Elementary School and the Jenkintown High School.

Further Reading – Who is Gabrielle Raymond RTI – Apex NC Chemical Engineer Killed by Former Army Captain

Gabrielle Raymond was an American chemical engineer with RTI (Research Triangle Institute) who was shot and killed by unhinged former Army officer, Harry Hardman.

harry hardman apex shot and killed gabrielle raymond and nancy taylor in nc
Harry Hardman

Hardman shot and killed Raymond and another woman, Nancy Taylor on Tuesday.

He also killed a dog.

Apex police officers said they received a call around 3 p.m. about a disturbance near Brussels Drive and Chipping Drive.

While officers were on the way to the neighborhood, the call was upgraded to a shots fired call.

Officers quickly found two women in the area who had been shot multiple times.

The two were treated immediately and rushed to a hospital, but they did not survive.

“This is a sad day for our town. Anytime there is a tragedy, we hurt as a community. We will continue to pray for all involved,” Apex Mayor Jacques Gilbert said in a statement to ABC11.

“We are thankful for all first responders who courageously responded to the scene to render assistance and provide safety.”

The two women were identified as 37-year-old Gabrielle Raymond RTI and 69-year-old Nancy Taylor.

Gabrielle Raymond according to a LinkedIn profile in her name was a Chemical Engineer at RTI International located in Durham, North Carolina.

According to LinkedIn, “RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition,”

Their bio continues: “Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach—one that integrates expertise across the social and laboratory sciences, engineering, and international development.

“We believe in the promise of science, and we are inspired every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities, and businesses around the world,”

Gabrielle Raymond was working with RTI at the time of her death.

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