Man who shot Philadelphia cop is ISIL sympathiser: police

The officer was shot while sat in his patrol car.

NEW YORK // A self-professed sympathiser of ISIL shot and seriously wounded a police officer in Philadelphia, opening fire at least 11 times with a stolen weapon, police said on Friday.

Police officer Jesse Hartnett, 33, was hit three times in the arm as he sat in his patrol car when the 30-year-old ISIL-sympathiser opened fire at point-blank range using a weapon stolen from police in October 2013.

“He pledges his allegiance to Islamic State, follows Allah and that is the reason he was called upon to do this,” Philadelphia police Captain James Clark told a news conference.

Richard Ross, police commissioner of the northeastern US city, said he was “absolutely amazed” that Hartnett had survived the attack.

“His injuries are very, very serious,” Mr Ross told reporters.

The officer, a veteran of five years on the force, returned fire and hit the suspect, who tried to flee on foot, but was quickly arrested.

* Agence France-Presse