With Black Lives Matter rioters and top Democrats engaging in anti-police rhetoric, the violence against officers has skyrocketed and many have been ambushed.
Officer Ambushed While Undercover
A man riding a bike open fired on three police officers while they sat in an unmarked vehicle.
“This is the height of lawlessness and it is completely unacceptable behavior in a civilized society. It is despicable and morally bankrupt,” Philadelphia City Council Majority Leader Cherelle Parker said.
Minor Injuries Reported But Could Have Been Much Worse
Parker also stated that none of the officers obtained serious injuries while ambushed in the shooting, Law Enforcement Today reported.
“This was a situation that could have ended up a lot worse,” she said.
The officers’ identity has not yet been released to the public due to them being on an undercover narcotics operation.
Starting around 8 pm, the officers were riding in an unmarked car Friday night.
As they were patrolling a neighborhood, a man riding a bike came up alongside them. When the driver of the vehicle rolled down the window, the bicyclist pulled out a handgun and began firing.
Officers Crash But Manage to Fire Back
The driver began to drive away but ran into the fence causing the car to crash.
A department spokesperson, Sgt. Eric Gripp, said the man on the bike continued his shooting spree. One of the officers was hit in the back from a bullet that can through the car door and continued through the driver’s seat.
According to reports from NBC 10, Gripp relayed that the officer’s bulletproof vest likely saved his life.
The officers managed to get out of the vehicle and return fire. That is when things escalated and another shooter began to fire at the police.
The second gunman was on another street when he began to fire and both gunmen left after firing a few more rounds.
The direction in where they fled is unknown.
In addition to the officer being shot in the back, a female officer received cuts to her leg, and the third officer was uninjured.
Gunmen Still At Large
Both gunmen are still at large. The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 has put forth a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the subjects.
Police do have a lead on a potential subject being 28-year-old Jeffione Thomas.
This male is wanted in connection of an attempted murder of three of my officers within Northwest Police Division last night by firing a gun at them in the 14th District. If you have any info on this male please call 215 686 -TIPS, so we can apprehend this male!!! pic.twitter.com/FM8BQx7U3X
— DeShawn Beaufort (@PPDBeaufort) September 19, 2020
“Our officers were ambushed for simply doing their jobs, working to get drugs and guns off our streets,” Lodge President John McNesby said. “This brazen disrespect of law enforcement is unacceptable.”