A 30-year-old man who fired 11 shots at a Philadelphia cop late Thursday before being shot and arrested says he did it for the Islamic State, police said Friday.
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US authorities have been on high alert following Islamic State-linked attacks in recent months in Paris, France, and San Bernardino, California.
Edward Archer was identified as the man who shot three times at Officer Jesse Hartnett in Philadelphia. Video from a nearby surveillance camera shows the gunman rushing the police vehicle, putting a gun directly into the driver-side window and firing.
Mr Ross said Archer told police he believed the department defends laws that are contrary to Islam.
Mayor Jim Kenney and other city officials were quick to say Archer’s apparent motive does not “represent the religion in any way, shape or form or its teachings”.
Jacob Bender, the executive director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he contacted about five inner-city mosques and found no-one who knew of Archer. She also said her son felt targeted by police, and described him as devout Muslim.
Authorities say the suspect in the Thursday shooting claimed to have carried out the incident in the name of the Islamic State and that he “follows Allah”. “This alleged intentional act of violence against an officer seeking to help a fellow citizen is horrifying and has no place in Pennsylvania”, he said.
Federal agents joined local police in searching two Philadelphia area properties associated with Archer, including the home where his mother lives.
Speaking of Hartnett’s surival, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said: “We’re just lucky, that’s all I can say”.
The FBI is collaborating with Philadelphia police in their investigation, which for the moment has turned up no indication that the suspect had an accomplice, Ross said.
Hartnett returned fire and chased Archer before police apprehended the suspect.
Miraculously, Hartnett, 33, survived despite being hit three times in the arm.
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“He was savvy enough to stop just short of implicating himself in a conspiracy”, Ross said. “This is a criminal, with a stolen gun, trying to kill one of our officers”.
