An off-duty officer opened fire on a hit-and-run driver after being knocked off his motorcycle in North Philadelphia late Tuesday night, according to officials.
Officials told NBC10 the unidentified officer fired multiple shots at the sedan with at least two people inside after the wreck at N Broad and Tioga streets shortly after 11 p.m. At least one of the bullets struck nearby Temple University hospital, shattering a window.
No one in the hospital was hurt. It wasn't clear if anyone in the green older-model sedan -- a Monte Carlo with front-end damage -- was struck by bullets.
The officer, who was wearing a helmet, was checked out at Temple hospital and is expected to be OK despite being thrown from his bike. [[381491551, C]]
Eyewitnesses said it appeared women were in the car though police said a man was taken in for questioning.
"The motorcycle was coming down here and the girls came down here and turned off in front of the motorcycle," said witness "Jim." "The motorcycle hit the car and flipped over and the girls kept on going... then the guy pulled out his gun and started shooting at them."
Officers recovered the striking vehicle about 1.5 miles away at 6th and Cambria streets in the Fairhill neighborhood. The car had damage to its front end and one bullet hole could be seen in the side of the car.
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Police Commissioner Richard Ross said the driver was being questioned, though it wasn't immediately clear if he'll face charges.
Ross said it's against police regulations to shoot at a fleeing vehicle, though he's not sure whether the shooting might have been justified for other reasons.
