PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A 16-year-old has been arrested on attempted murder charges, accused of shooting a Philadelphia police officer Monday night in the city’s Kensington neighborhood.
Authorities say 16-year-old Jasir Harris shot at two officers while they were investigating a carjacking on Aramingo Avenue near Cumberland Street around 8 p.m.
The owner of a white Chevrolet Malibu was tracking the car through a GPS system. The pair of officers drove by and saw the car. As they tried to turn around, someone began firing at them, officials say.
They say the two got out of their patrol car and began chasing the suspect, as the bullets continued to fly.
A 28-year-old officer took a severe graze wound to his head. The other officer had injuries to his face from flying glass.
Authorities continued to investigate on scene and identified Harris as their suspect. They arrested him a block away from the site of the shooting.
He is now charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and related offenses. Sources say Harris has two prior gun arrests and a robbery offense.
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"While there is little doubt that this young man has encountered numerous systemic failures during his short life, none of those circumstances have given him the right to terrorize society in the manner in which he has," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a written statement.
"It is nothing short of a miracle that we aren’t planning funerals for two of our brave police officers," she added.
The commissioner said she expects Harris to be "fairly and fully prosecuted" under the law.