PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A teenager accused of shooting a Philadelphia police officer in the head could face trial as an adult.
On Thursday, a judge upheld attempted homicide and assault charges against 17-year-old Jasir Harris. The officer who was struck in the head, Henry Glenn, was in the courtroom too, where he recounted the events of that day.
Glenn told the judge he was tracking a stolen car along Reese Street, near Fifth and Dauphin streets, when he and his partner — in full uniform but in an unmarked vehicle — spotted the stolen Nissan.
Glenn said he saw a man in another car nearby, and as he and his partner passed it and began to make a U-turn, a barrage of bullets rang out.
Glenn was struck in the head — 2 centimeters from entering his skull, he told the judge. His partner was wounded by shattered glass.
Eventually, police arrested Harris, who was 16 at the time. Prosecutors say police located Harris nearby. Based on what he was wearing and surveillance video of him running from the scene with a gun, they charged him with the shooting.
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Prosecutors showed surveillance video of part of the scene: Glenn’s unmarked car driving down the street, a group of males running, and Glenn jumping into the back of a squad car after realizing he’d been shot. Body-worn camera footage from another officer and crime scene photos were also shown.
Defense attorneys noted Glenn never saw who shot him, and they tried to poke holes in each of the officer’s statements, claiming prosecutors don’t have direct evidence linking Harris to the shooting.
Still, Judge Charles Hayden held Harris for court on all charges, including attempted criminal homicide, assault on police and firearm offenses. The teen is due back in court in a few weeks.
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