A man was arrested after officials say he attacked and tried to steal a gun from an officer who was assigned to the hospital where the victim of Thursday’s ambush shooting is being treated.
On Saturday around 10:40 p.m., an 18th District officer was working detail for Officer Jesse Hartnett, who was shot in the arm three times by a gunman who approached his patrol vehicle Thursday night, investigators said. The 18th District Officer walked into Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where Hartnett continued to receive medical treatment.
As the officer entered, he was approached by an unidentified man who allegedly said, “I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten in five days. Do you have any money to spare?”
Police say the officer gave the man a $5 bill and then went inside the hospital. The officer later returned to the emergency room entrance. As he stood near the entrance doors with his back turned, the same man he gave the money to tried to grab the officer’s handgun from his holster, police said. After a struggle, the officer was able to subdue the man with help from the Penn Security team and other officers. The officer was not injured during the incident while the suspect suffered a minor facial injury.
The 40-year-old suspect, who has not yet been identified, was then placed into custody. While in custody the suspect allegedly told police he wanted the officer's gun in order to conduct a robbery.
News of the incident comes as Philadelphia Police continue to investigate an anonymous tip claiming there is an ongoing threat to officers in the city following Thursday’s ambush shooting of Officer Hartnett. The tip states the suspect in the shooting was part of a group of three others.
Police say the incident at Penn Presbyterian was not related to Hartnett’s shooting.
