A man claiming allegiance to so-called Islamic State militants was charged today with attempted murder in the shooting of a U.S. police officer this week, the the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office said.
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Edward Archer is accused of ambushing Officer Jesse Hartnett in his squad vehicle in Philadelphia shortly before midnight on Thursday.
Hartnett was shot during an unprovoked ambush late Thursday night.
Authorities say the officer was approached by a man prior to entering the PPMC.
The shooting in Philadelphia is the fourth attack believed to have been inspired by ISIS on American soil, including the December 2015 shootings that left 14 dead in San Bernardino, California, the shootings outside a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest in a Dallas suburb in May 2015, and a hatchet assault on four police officers in NY in October 2014.
Echoing the views of Democrat presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, Kenney told reporters, “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 this screen”. The event was captured on video and witnesses said the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar” while approaching the police cruiser and firing off up to 13 rounds, three of which hit the officer.
“Philadelphia Police Captain James Clark said on Friday at a press conference, “[Archer] said he pledges his allegiance to Islamic State, he follows Allah and that was the reason he was called on to do this”.
According to the Saturday night incident report obtained by ABC News, the woman, listed as anonymous, said that the threat to police is not over.
Ross called it “absolutely amazing” that Harnett survived. “This man fired at least 11 shots from a nine millimeter at close range”, he said. “In this particular case, it is so egregious because the perpetrator came out – and right after the police commissioner said “he had confessed to committing this cowardly act in the name of Islam”…within a breath, the mayor says “it had nothing to do with Islam”…one guy is a straight shooter and the other guy is anxious about being politically correct”.
“At this hour, it does not appear that he was an observant or mosque-going Muslim”, he said. “It has nothing to do with being a Muslim”. “This is a radical person, living in United States, who became radicalized”.
He blamed extremist propaganda on the Internet emanating from Syria. His gun lay next to him, with the slide locked, the officer said – Archer had fired every bullet in his gun. He is due back in court on January 25.
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Aws Mohammed Younis Al-Jayab, 23, is charged with making a false statement involving worldwide terrorism.
