(CNN) — A 30-year-old man has confessed to shooting a Philadelphia police officer Thursday night in the name of the “Islamic State,” presumably referring to the terrorist group ISIS, according to officials at a news conference on Friday.
Philadelphia Police Officer Jesse Hartnett was hit three times and suffered “some very serious injuries that will require multiple surgeries,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross told reporters Friday. Despite being seriously injured, he exited his patrol car and shot the assailant, who later was apprehended by other officers, Ross said.
The alleged assailant appeared to be targeting a police officer, Ross said. “He was trying to assassinate this police officer.”
Radio from Thursday shows Hartnett shouted desperately into his police radio after someone, authorities say, approached his patrol car and shot him as he sat there Thursday night.
“Shots fired! … I’m bleeding heavily!” Hartnett shouts in a recording of his radio call for backup. “I’m bleeding. Get us another unit out here!”
Hartnett not only survived but managed to fire back and wound the gunman after what authorities say was an apparent attempt to execute the officer at a city intersection.
The gunman fired 13 shots from a semiautomatic pistol into Hartnett’s car as the officer sat in the driver’s seat, a law enforcement source told CNN. The shooting happened about 11:30 p.m. in west Philadelphia, CNN affiliate KYW reported.
