Listen to article \u2022\u00a00:00 min<\/p>\n
The police officer who was critically wounded when a gunman opened fire in West Philadelphia was released from the hospital on Saturday, two weeks after the shooting that killed his partner. <\/p>\n
Officer Hector Rodriguez III<\/a>, who was shot 12 times during the Oct. 10 gunfire, was released from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center just after 11 a.m. More than a hundred fellow Philadelphia police officers saluted Rodriguez, a 33-year-old father of five, as he exited the hospital doors. <\/p>\n Rodriguez, a nine-year veteran of the department, was emotional has he took in the show of support, said First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford. The officer placed a hand over his chest as the crowd, which included hospital staff, clapped and cheered.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat sadness brought us here,\u201d Stanford said, \u201cbut you see great joy today.\u201d <\/p>\n Rodriguez and his partner, Officer Shane Sieber, were responding to an early-morning 911 call <\/a>about a person with a gun, when Eric Lewis fired upon them, police have said. Lewis, 35, then retreated into the shadowy alley behind the property, triggering a standoff with a swarm of responding officers<\/a> before he surrendered. <\/p>\n Seiber, 40, was shot three times and died from his injuries. At his funeral on Tuesday \u2014 which Rodriguez left the hospital to attend \u2014 Seiber was remembered as a family man and patriot who brightened rooms just by being in them<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u00bb READ MORE: Slain Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seiber honored by hundreds at funeral services<\/a><\/p>\n Stanford said Rodriguez was headed to the \u201cnext phase of recovery\u201d as he left the hospital in a police-escorted ambulance. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a long road for him,\u201d the deputy commissioner said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to be behind him 100% as he goes through that process.\u201d <\/p>\n The alleged gunman, Lewis, is charged with murder, attempted murder, and related state crimes in connection with the shooting. This week, authorities also lodged federal firearm charges against Lewis<\/a>. <\/p>\n