PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel sharply criticized District Attorney Larry Krasner on Thursday over a video addressing a suspect’s 2019 murder acquittal, which is now connected to the killing of a city police officer.

The comments came after the U.S. Attorney announced a federal indictment against 35-year-old Eric Lewis in connection with the Oct. 10 shooting that killed Philadelphia police Sgt. Shane Seiber and severely injured Officer Hector Rodriguez.

The federal charges come on top of nearly 80 state charges against Lewis, including murder.

Lewis, a convicted felon, is accused of killing Seiber, severely injuring Rodriguez and stealing Rodriguez’s firearm.

READ MORE | Man accused of shooting 2 Philadelphia police officers indicted by federal grand jury

Federal agencies joined the Philadelphia Police Department as U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced the charges.

“An attack on one of them is an attack on us,” Metcalf said. “We can’t bring Sgt. Seiber back. We can’t change what happened, but we can and will pursue justice and we can’t wait to go to court,” Metcalf said.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel praised the support the department received from its federal partners following the shooting.

“At a time when our department was hurting, our federal partners didn’t wait to ask for help, they reached out. They offered support and they stood beside us. That is what partnership looks like,” Bethel said.

Bethel also addressed a recent video from District Attorney Larry Krasner discussing Lewis’ acquittal on a murder charge in 2019. Krasner partly blamed the police investigation, even calling some of the conduct criminal.

“We fight behind the scenes all the time, but we never bring that to the forefront, particularly in a time like that,” Bethel said.

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Bethel said the focus should be on the victims and their families rather than pointing fingers, a message he said was reinforced at Seiber’s funeral this week.

“When I handed Lisa [Seiber] the flag, it was one of the most difficult moments in my life and it reminded me why it was important that our focus remain on the families,” Bethel said.

Action News tracked down Krasner outside of his office for comment, but he refused to roll down his vehicle’s window. A short time later, he released a statement that read in part:

“This act of violence against members of the law enforcement community deserves our collective respect, coordination and communication. I will continue to make outreach to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel and Mayor Cherelle Parker with hopes to work together in supporting our city and law enforcement colleagues through this difficult time, consistent with their One Philly agenda. Real leadership brings everyone to the table, a promise made to Philadelphia. For now, I will await their returned communication.

“The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office will continue leading our prosecution with vigor, determination, fairness and transparency. The transparent statement and video released by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office on October 13, 2026, was intended to correct false information communicated to multiple media outlets by a senior-level law enforcement official who works directly for Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel.”

Bethel called Krasner’s actions unacceptable, particularly while the families are suffering.

“And you stand up and you talk about something that is unnecessary,” Bethel said. “Anyone who believes it was right, I’ll walk you into those homes with me and you tell me, they didn’t ask me about that when I walked in the door. They’re asking me – they want their husband back and they want Hector to survive and get through their injuries. That’s what they wanted.”

Regarding the 2019 case, Bethel said he fired the officer involved and that the investigation is being reviewed.

The Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement that it is not representing the officer after he provided false information during an internal affairs investigation. The union also called Krasner’s video “disgraceful,” “poorly timed” and said it misrepresented the facts.

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