A Philadelphia police officer is in critical condition after he was shot Saturday by a suspect who fled a traffic stop and held a homeowner hostage for nearly two hours.
The shooting happened when two officers pulled over shortly before 8 p.m. in the city's Kensington neighborhood, WPVI-TV reports. Four people were in the vehicle at the time, and one of the individuals fled on foot when officers spotted a holster.
While fleeing, the suspect—identified as Ramon Rodriguez Vazquez, 36—opened fire and struck one of the officers in the neck. The officer's partner returned fire and then rushed his colleague to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition in the surgical ICU.
Following the shooting, police conducted a massive manhunt for Vazquez, who walked into a home and threatened the homeowner. He barricaded himself inside the house, and held the resident hostage for nearly two hours before he was finally taken into custody.
Vasquez faces attempted murder, kidnapping and other charges from the incident. Police also took into custody the other people in the car with Vasquez, but it's not known if they have been charged.
The wounded 31-year-old officer has not been identified, but he has been with the department for six years.
