Philadelphia officer fired at in city’s third shooting incident targeting police in past three weeks

Philadelphia police on Wednesday were hunting a gunman who fired at an officer sitting in an unmarked car.

This is the third incident in which cops have been targeted in the city over the past three weeks.

The plainclothes officer was conducting surveillance around 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Kingsessing neighborhood when an unidentified man saw him and opened fire, striking his vehicle twice.

The officer escaped unharmed and the gunman, who is said to have fire off eight rounds, has been described as a male around 6 feet tall last seen wearing blue jeans and a gray sweatshirt.

“We are disgusted and angered by the reckless behavior of those in the city that have a total disregard for law enforcement and safety in their neighborhoods,” John McNesby, the president of the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5, said in a statement. “Our officers and residents in some neighborhoods are simply under siege by criminals firing high-powered guns and weapons recklessly and irresponsibly.”

Christine Coulter, the city’s acting police commissioner, said that the latest shooting “certainly highlights how dangerous the job is whether they know you are a police officer or not.”

“You’re putting yourself in harm’s way when you are out doing investigations. It’s a testament to the men and women who still go out every day and do the job knowing…that there are people who are often willing to fire — whether its police officers or citizens,” she added. “That level of gun violence is what we really need to get to the root of.”