In the late evening of January 7, 2016, a gunman shot Philadelphia police officer, Jesse Hartnett, whilst he drove his patrol car. Despite being shot multiple times in the left arm, Hartnett was able to exit his car and shoot the fleeing suspect, Edward Archer. Later in the hospital, Archer claimed he pledged allegiance to ISIS. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the shooting as a terrorist attack.
Video 2016 shooting of Philadelphia police officer
Events
At 60th Street and Spruce Street in West Philadelphia, the attacker fired 13 shots at uniformed police officer Jesse Hartnett, who was driving his marked police car at about 11:40 p.m. when the shooting occurred. The attacker, who was wearing a white thawb (a robe generally worn by Muslim men), reportedly waved down the police car, then began firing as the car slowed down. He first fired through the driver's side window, then ran up to the car, reached through the shattered window, and continued firing directly at Hartnett, who shielded his head with his left arm.
Though he was wounded and bleeding from three gunshot wounds to his left arm, Hartnett managed to stop the car, get out, and give chase. He was able to fire off three gunshots, shooting the attacker in the buttocks before radioing for help. The suspect was arrested a block away by other responding officers.
Maps 2016 shooting of Philadelphia police officer
Suspect
Edward Archer, aged 30, was unemployed and living with his mother at Yeadon, Pennsylvania, at the time of the shooting. He was allegedly armed with a 9mm Glock 17 handgun capable of carrying 13 rounds, which was reported stolen from the home of a police officer in October 2013; the gun was recovered shortly after the shooting in Archer's thawb. Archer confessed that he committed the attack "in the name of Islam", that Allah ordered him to commit the attack, and that he targeted a police officer because they defended laws that went against the teachings of the Quran.
Archer was said to have become interested in Islam during his teenage years. He allegedly attended a mosque in Philadelphia and became more radical after attending a second mosque nearby, where the imam identified him as Abdul Shaheed. He was described by local Muslims as devout, interested in the religion, and closely involved in the establishment of community activities.
According to an FBI official, Archer spent time in Saudi Arabia from October to November 2011 for Hajj (the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca). He also traveled to Egypt for eight months in 2012 to study Arabic. According to acquaintances, Archer was the target of racist comments during his time in Egypt, which came to a point where he returned to the U.S. prematurely. The FBI began investigating both of the trips following the shooting, citing that Archer, who was unemployed and had no prior foreign travels, could not have been able to acquire a passport and pay for an extended stay in the Middle East; suspicions of the trips being funded by people or organizations with links to terrorism have been raised. It was later found that the trip was funded by a group of local Muslim men who would give donations to finance such trips for newcomers.
In March 2015, Archer pleaded guilty to a firearms offense, aggravated assault, and making terroristic threats, among other offenses, in relation to an incident that occurred in January 2012, in which he and two other men confronted the husband of Archer's ex-wife. He was released and placed on probation. In November 2015, he had been found guilty of several charges that included fraud and forgery; he was out on probation and awaiting sentencing for that case at the time of the shooting.
According to Archer's mother, he suffered from head injuries from playing football and a moped accident. She also added that he had some form of mental illness, specifying that he would hear voices in his head. In addition, she claimed he felt targeted by police. A former classmate recalled that Archer was a loner in high school who had a passion for football and was not religious. Two associates stated that he had become more drastic and combative following his trips to the Middle East, though another said the trips seemed to have a calming effect on him.
Victim
Officer Jesse James Hartnett, aged 33, was at the time a four-year veteran with the Philadelphia Police Department. He graduated from Monsignor Bonner High School in 2001. Hartnett previously served with the United States Coast Guard, joining right after the September 11 attacks occurred and serving on active duty throughout August 2008. He then served with the Coast Guard Reserve from 2009 to November 2015. In September 2010, he became an officer for the East Lansdowne police force and worked there until July 2011, which was when he transferred to the Philadelphia Police Department.
Following the shooting, Hartnett suffered a broken arm and nerve damage. He was classified as being in critical but stable condition, and went into surgery at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. He was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of the shooting. An online fundraising campaign was set up on January 9 to aid Hartnett in recovering from his injuries. Hartnett was discharged from the hospital on January 22.
Aftermath
In light of this attack, and a similar attack on French police that occurred earlier on the same day, officers of the New York City Police Department were instructed to "exercise heightened vigilance" and take "proactive measures". A SWAT unit and two units assigned to the Philadelphia Police Department's counter-terrorism unit were added to the police patrols in recent days.
On January 12, five days after the shooting, a march was held in Philadelphia in support for Hartnett and other police officers.
Some skepticism was raised at the suspect's claim that he committed the shooting in the name of Islam. In February 2016, Clive Watts, a homeland security expert, believed the suspect was mentally ill. He also stated that the shooting was possibly committed in response to a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015, explaining, "This is headline-inspired, not ISIS-inspired. It tends to happen after a successful attack, like what happened in Paris. People who already have psychological issues pick up a weapon and decide to act. It's more personal than ideological."
Criminal investigation
Immediately after the shooting, the FBI searched two residences connected to the suspect. They also began scouring through the suspect's online activities and phone records.
Three days after the shooting, an unidentified woman stopped a police officer on a street and informed him that the suspect was "part of a [radical] group that consists of three others", that he "is not the most radical of the four", and that "the threat to police is not over". The tipster also informed the officer that the other three men frequented the area where Hartnett was shot and claimed to have an affiliation with the group. As a result, all law enforcement agencies in Philadelphia were put on high alert, officers were ordered to work in pairs, and an investigation into the tip by a federal and local Joint Terrorism Task Force was launched. Investigators are aware of the names of two of the three men in question, but are still seeking the identity of the third.
On January 13, six days after the shooting, FBI Director James Comey announced that the FBI is investigating the shooting as a terrorist attack. The next day, Comey announced that the FBI has currently found no evidence that Archer was involved with any terrorist cells or that there are any other planned attacks in Philadelphia. He also downplayed the significance of the January 10 tip.
Legal proceedings
On January 9, Archer was arraigned on one count of attempted murder, along with charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, reckless endangerment, making terroristic threats, possessing an instrument of crime, violating a uniform firearms act, and related offenses. He is currently being held without bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for January 25. This hearing was postponed to March 10 and scheduled to be held in Philadelphia Municipal Court. Archer appeared in court on that date, which had several police officers in attendance, among others. Hartnett testified at the hearing, describing the details of his attack and the aftermath. He was formally arraigned in Common Pleas Court on March 31.
Reactions
Police Commissioner Richard Ross denounced the shooting as "absolutely evil". He also commended Officer Hartnett's survival, which he called "absolutely amazing". Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney issued a statement condemning the shooting. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said in a statement, "This alleged intentional act of violence against an officer seeking to help a fellow citizen is horrifying and has no place in Pennsylvania." Pennsylvania Senators Pat Toomey and Bob Casey, Jr. both decried the shooting, with Toomey calling it an act of terror. Republican U.S. presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio also reacted to the shooting.
Amara Chaudhry Kravitz of Upon Further Review criticized the Philadelphia District Attorney's prosecution of Archer and argued that Archer can, and should, be prosecuted pursuant to Pennsylvania's criminal terrorist statute, 18 Pa.C.S.A. 2717, based upon facts known to investigators at this time. She also argued that such a prosecution would double the maximum statutory sentence Archer could receive in state court and, at the same time, would not preclude a subsequent federal prosecution if investigators were to find sufficient facts to justify a federal terrorism prosecution. Fellow Upon Further Review writer Susan Lin responded critically to Kravitz's article, citing Archer's apparent mental health issues.
See also
- 2014 Tours police station stabbing
- 2014 Queens hatchet attack
- January 2016 Paris police station attack
References
Source of article : Wikipedia
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