At a news conference Friday, Krasner was asked whether his office had previously sought charges against an officer he accused of deliberately misleading investigators. Rather than answer directly, he reframed the question: “Will your office pursue charges?” He did not elaborate, and his office has not confirmed that a criminal investigation is underway.

Krasner said the conduct of an officer and a homicide detective assigned to the case was “arguably criminal,” citing laws against giving false information to law enforcement and obstructing justice. His remarks concern the investigation into the 2019 killing of 32-year-old Christopher Williams, who was fatally shot during a road-rage incident in West Philadelphia.

Lewis was acquitted in a 2023 bench trial. In a rare letter, Common Pleas Court Judge J. Scott O’Keefe described serious problems in the police work and said he had referred the officers to the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau. The judge cited different sets of evidence logged under the same property receipt number, a failure to adequately investigate issues with an eyewitness’s recollection, and a detective’s failure to provide prosecutors with subpoenaed copies of Lewis’s social media accounts. The detective later acknowledged she had not obtained a warrant for Lewis’s phone records, according to the letter.

Krasner has singled out former officer Naeem Amir Crawley, who was fired from the Police Department. The district attorney alleged Crawley had brought detectives information identifying Lewis as the shooter, despite dating Lewis’s sister, and then tried to undermine his own testimony by giving false information about an alternative suspect known as “Spice.” Those claims have not been adjudicated. Crawley did not respond to a request for comment.

Police leaders have not directly addressed Krasner’s latest remarks. Department spokesperson Sgt. Eric Gripp said Tuesday: “There will be a time to address the full record, but it is not now.”

The allegations have resurfaced amid grief over the killing of Officer Shane Seiber, a married father of two, who was killed in West Philadelphia last week. Lewis has been charged in Seiber’s death. Krasner’s comments have fueled public debate as law enforcement mourns Seiber and city officials have urged restraint in discussion of the case.

Krasner said Friday his office would speak more fully with people involved before addressing possible consequences. For now, no charges related to the 2019 investigation have been announced.