Cop Jesse Hartnett was driving his patrol car through a Philadelphia intersection Thursday night. Seconds later, his left arm was ruined by bullets while the attacker kept shooting, even sticking his gun through the driver’s side window of the cruiser, the Washington Post reports.
Police say Edward Archer walked up to Hartnett’s stopped car and started blasting. 13 shots were reportedly fired. Hartnett sustained three bullets to his left arm. Commissioner Richard Ross said the officer’s arm was broken and the nerves were likely damaged.
Ross said video of the attack was “one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen. This guy tried to execute the police officer. The police officer had no idea he was coming.”
But Hartnett shot back at Archer, who had been running away from the scene. Other cops took the perp in. Both cop and ambusher survived. Archer allegedly confessed.
Archer has been in trouble before.
Court records: Alleged cop shooter Edward Archer pleaded guilty to assault, gun charges for 2012 incident in West Philly.
— Chris Krewson (@ckrewson) January 8, 2016
Philly.com reached out to Archer’s mother, Valerie Holliday, who said Archer sustained head injuries from a moped accident and playing football. He said he’d been talking to himself recently, “laughing and mumbling.” She worried about him. “He’s been hearing voices in his head.” She and others asked him to get medical help.
She said her son was a long-practicing Muslim, who believed he was being targeted by police.
No charges have been filed yet. The investigation is ongoing.
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