PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – A Philadelphia man has been convicted for opening fire on a police officer during a tense standoff inside a Brewerytown rooming house on New Year’s Eve 2023, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
Michael McHugh, 42, was found guilty following a waiver trial before Judge Nicholas Kamau on September 22 of Aggravated Assault and VUFA 6105—possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Confrontation caught on body-worn camera
According to evidence presented at trial, officers were called to the 1300 block of North Dover Street on December 31, 2023, after reports of a man firing a gun inside the building. When one officer reached the second floor, McHugh suddenly swung open his door holding a firearm. The officer drew his weapon and ordered McHugh to drop it, but McHugh instead slammed the door shut. Moments later, the officer’s body-worn camera—dislodged as he fled down the stairs—captured McHugh firing two rounds.
A Philadelphia Police SWAT team responded and arrested McHugh after he barricaded himself inside his room. Investigators later recovered spent shell casings and bullet holes consistent with the officer’s account.
Prosecutors commend police and trial team
District Attorney Larry Krasner praised Assistant District Attorney Cynthia Greschler of the Major Trials Unit for securing the conviction, saying McHugh’s “reckless behavior endangered the lives of courageous Philadelphia police and residents.”
Sentencing set for November
McHugh remains in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced in November. The Major Trials Unit handled the case under the supervision of senior prosecutors within the DA’s office.