Philadelphia Police Officer Says Shooter Said Nothing Before Ambushing Him

Joseph A. Slobodzian at the Philadelphia Inquirer reports on the testimony of Philadelphia Police Officer Jesse Hartnett (seen in the above photo), who was shot and wounded in an ambush.

Whatever motivated the gunman who seriously wounded Philadelphia Police Officer Jesse Hartnett in a volley of bullets, it remains a mystery to the officer of five years.

"I didn't hear him say anything," the 33-year-old officer, speaking publicly for the first time about his ordeal, told a Philadelphia Judge Thursday at a preliminary hearing for suspect Edward Archer.

Hartnett was shot multiple times while sitting in his parked police cruiser on Jan. 7. and investigators said Archer, 31, of Yeadon, confessed doing it "in the name of Islam."

But at the hearing before Municipal Court Judge Marsha H. Neifield, no additional information about the statement or any alleged religious motivation came out.

After the hour-long hearing, Neifield ordered Archer held on all charges, including attempted murder and aggravated assault, assaulting a law enforcement officer, several gun counts and receiving stolen property - the pistol prosecutors said he obtained from someone who stole it from a city police officer in September 2013.

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http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20160311_Hearing_set_for_man_charged_with_wounding_cop.html 

A Cop's Cop: Phiadelphia Police Officer Allegedly Shot By ISIS Supporter To Be Named Man Of The Year

Dana DiFilippo at the Philadelphia Daily News reports on the naming of a wounded Philly cop as the National Police Defense Foundation's Man of the Year.

A Philadelphia police officer who chased down his armed attacker even after he was shot three times will be honored by the National Police Defense Foundation as its Man of the Year.

Officer Jesse Hartnett, 33, was sitting in his patrol car on Jan. 7 in West Philadelphia when a gunman approached on foot and fired 13 times into the cruiser's lowered window at Hartnett.

As the gunman fled, Hartnett was able to chase him down, even though he'd caught several bullets in his left arm, and shoot his attacker in the buttocks.

Edward Archer, the alleged attacker, later swore allegiance to ISIS and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing March 10 on attempted murder charges.

"This is in recognition of [Hartnett's] heroic efforts in the performance of his duties," said Joseph Occhipinti, executive director of the New York-based National Police Defense Foundation. "He is truly a law enforcement professional who demonstrated professionalism and valor in spite of grave danger. He's a cop's cop."

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http://mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=/philly/news&id=367695591