by Alex Lloyd Gross
It was on July 2,2026 that Officer Azieme Lindsey, 28/B/M and his partner were dispatched the St.Christopher’s Hospital on Erie Avenue for a male in crisis, police said. The call would come from a family member. That male had previously been trespassed from the hospital and when security told him to leave, he did without incident. The security did tell officers that he was across the street at a bus stop.
As the two officers approached, he was standing with a female. As Officer Lindsey exited the patrol vehicle and approached, the male began moving backward while simultaneously removing a handgun from his waistband. At that time, Officer Lindsey discharged his department-issued firearm, striking the male multiple times., police said in a statement.
The male, identified as Joseph Smithers, 32 did not fire any shots. He was rushed to Temple University Hospital where he died. The female he was with was also transported for a graze wound to her neck.
Police said a handgun was found next to Smithers and the gun was registered to him. He had a legal permit to carry. Both Officer Lindsey (discharging officer) and Officer A (non-discharging officer) were equipped with Body-Worn Cameras, which were activated during the incident.
The officer-involved shooting is being investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department’s Officer-Involved Shooting Investigations Unit (OISI), the Internal Affairs Bureau, and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office (DAO).
Per Department policy, Officer Lindsey has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation.