A Philadelphia police officer is currently fighting for his life after being shot in the neck during a traffic stop on Saturday evening. The 31-year-old officer, a husband and father, is on life support at Temple University Hospital.
According to city officials, the incident occurred when the officer and his partner conducted a traffic stop in the Kensington neighborhood. Upon inspecting the vehicle, which had four occupants, the officers noticed a holster. One of the individuals fled the scene and fired three shots at the officers, striking one of them in the neck.
The wounded officer's partner quickly drove him to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition in the surgical ICU. The suspect involved in the shooting was the subject of a manhunt and was eventually apprehended after two barricade situations. Additionally, all other individuals in the car at the time of the incident were taken into custody.
The injured officer, a veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department with over six years of service, is currently on a breathing machine and fighting for his life. Mayor Cherelle Parker and Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel have both called for prayers for the officer and his colleagues.
Commissioner Bethel emphasized the risks that officers face daily in the line of duty, stating, 'I ask people across the city of Philadelphia to pray for our officer and pray for the men and women who are here today, who went out in the field knowing that they're going to give their lives for this job.'
