Two Philadelphia police officers were shot and wounded early Sunday in a shootout with a suspect, who was critically wounded in the exchange.
The shooting happened at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday when police received a shots fired call in the city's Holmesburg section, WPVI-TV reports. A district sergeant spotted a man in a pickup truck who reportedly was firing a gun from his vehicle.
The sergeant radioed for backup, and officers tried to conduct a traffic stop. But the truck fled, and a brief chase ensued.
Eventually, the truck pulled over, and the sergeant approached the vehicle. That's when the suspect drove off again and fled.
Officers caught up with the truck a short time later, and another traffic stop was conducted. The suspect rammed a police, causing major damage to the cruiser.
Two officers exited their vehicle, and the suspect began shooting. One officer was wounded in the ankle and grazed in the head. A bullet grazed another officer's nose, and the officers' cruiser was struck multiple times.
Two more officers arrived at the scene, and all four officers returned fire. The suspect was struck in the exchange, and he was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
The wounded officers also were rushed to the hospital in stable condition. The officer who was grazed on the nose was released, and it was the second time that the other officer had been shot.
"By the grace of God, we are having this press conference where we are able to say they are in stable condition. They are extremely blessed," said interim Police Commissioner John Stanford. "When I said they will physically recover, it still is a heavy thing, mentally, to know that you've been shot in the head, to know that you've been shot in the face, just doing your job."
Although the suspect was not identified, Stanford said the man had been convicted on a gun charge in the past.
