PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Philadelphia police have identified and announced charges for one man accused of shooting a police officer in Kensington Saturday night.
Police identified the shooter as 36-year-old Ramon Rodriguez Vazquez and charged him with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, violations of the Uniform Firearms Act, evading arrest or detention on foot, obstructing administration of the law and other related charges on Sunday.
Vazquez also faced a slew of charges for barricading himself in someone’s home and holding a gun to someone’s head, police said. These charges include burglary, kidnapping, criminal trespass, unlawful restraint, simple assault, terroristic threats and other related charges.
The officer whom Vazquez is accused of shooting was taken to Temple University Hospital and admitted to the surgical ICU on Saturday evening, Philadelphia Police Chief Kevin Bethel said at a news conference. As of Sunday afternoon, investigators said the officer was in critical condition. The identity of the officer is not known at this time.
At a news conference Saturday evening, Bethel explained what led to the shooting and asked the city to pray for the officer.
Bethel said two officers conducted a vehicle check in the 3500 block of F Street shortly before 8 p.m. Officers went from a car stop to a live stop with the vehicle, which had four people inside, Bethel said.
During the live stop, officers were inspecting the car and checking the vehicle’s inventory when they noticed a holster. Bethel said a man:
now identified as Vazquez, then began running from the car and shot the officer three times as he ran away.
The officer was hit at least once in the neck. His partner also fired his weapon after Vazquez fired shots at the 31-year-old officer.
“Today I ask the people of the city of Philadelphia to pray for our officer, and to pray for the men and women who are here today, who were in the field, knowing that they would give their lives for this job,” Bethel said . .
