Philadelphia police officer wounded in ambush-style attack

The officer and the suspect were taken to area hospitals for treatment.

Captain James Clark, homicide unit commander, said Archer told detective “he pledges allegiance to Islamic State”, the Philidelphia Enquirer reported.

Ross said 33-year-old Officer Jesse Hartnett was driving in a marked cruiser through the intersection of 60th and Spruce Streets in West Philadelphia when the suspect, identified by the Associated Press as 30-year-old Edward Archer, walked up to the police cruiser and opened fire around 11:45 p.m. The officer is expected to survive.

According to authorities, the suspect, who was not named, told officers that he pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State and that is the reason he was called upon to commit the violent act. Police say the weapon was stolen from a police officer’s home in October, 2013, but it’s not known how it allegedly ended up in Archer’s possession. He said there was no indication from the suspect, 30-year-old Edward Archer of Yeadon, that he was involved in a conspiracy.

Archer’s mother, Valerie Holliday, told The Philadelphia Inquirer her son has been hearing voices recently and that the family asked him to get help.

“This is absolutely one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen”, new Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said of video that captured the incident.

Officials said the suspect used a stolen police firearm when he fired shots at close-range at Officer Jesse Hartnett while he was in his police vehicle Thursday night.

“This is a criminal with a stolen gun trying to kill one of our officers”. The officer’s father, Robert Hartnett, got to the hospital right away.

“This guy tried to execute the officer”, Ross said.

“In no way shape or form does anyone in this room believe that Islam, or the teaching of Islam, has anything to do with what you’ve seen on the screen”.

Skyforce10 was over the scene after a Philadelphia Police Officer suffered a gunshot would to the leg late Thursday night.

His statement comes on the heels of President Barack Obama’s announcement Tuesday of his plan to tighten gun control laws.