Lewis was acquitted in 2023 of murder in the 2019 road-rage killing of Christopher Williams. He is now charged in connection with an Oct. 10 shooting that killed Sgt. Shane Seiber and seriously wounded Officer Hector Rodriguez.

Krasner has said the earlier investigation was deeply flawed and that a former officer lied about fake tips and a fake suspect. At a Friday news conference, he called the investigation “one of the worst” he had seen in nearly 40 years of criminal practice. He did not specify what charges his office might pursue, saying only, “Stay tuned.”

Bethel objected to Krasner’s public criticism while officers’ families were grieving. At a Thursday news conference, he said the community and police officers were suffering and called Krasner’s comments unnecessary. Bethel has said the officer Krasner criticized was fired last year, while arguing that accountability should apply across the board.

The dispute has also centered on whether police misconduct contributed to Lewis’ acquittal. Krasner said two prosecutors were unfairly blamed for the outcome and accused people in Bethel’s inner circle of spreading misinformation after the Oct. 10 shooting. He said he had texted Bethel and Mayor Cherelle Parker after the shooting to offer help, but communication between their offices had broken down.

“ One Philly, a city united, means we all talk to each other,” Krasner said, calling for communication among city leaders.

A Police Department spokesperson said after Krasner’s news conference that the department remained focused on Seiber’s and Rodriguez’s families and would not prolong their pain with a public exchange. The clash comes as the city confronts both the officers’ shooting and unresolved questions about the investigation behind Lewis’ earlier acquittal.