Press Conference in Philadelphia, About Attempted Assassination of Police Officer by Terrorist

Video background of the story here.

The man rushed out to a police car on patrol and attempted to assassinate the cop at the wheel. He was severely wounded, but so far is alive.

Sources say the suspect said he did it in the name of Islam.

The officer -- 33-year-old Jesse Hartnett -- was struck three times in his arm, authorities say.

"Shots fired! I'm shot! I’m bleeding heavily!" Hartnett can be heard yelling on police radio.

Sources tell Eyewitness News the suspect has given a full confession, saying he did it in the name of Islam.

He also says he did it on behalf of the Islamic state.

Ongoing press conference here. The cop giving the presser is apparently saying there is no evidence, yet, of any connection to a wider group.

But he doesn't deny the perp self-identified as acting on behalf of Islam and the Islamic State.

I'm getting tired of the government saying something isn't "terrorism" when it plainly is. They are imposing a nonsensical rule that "terrorism" requires coordination with overseas elements, or at least a conspiracy of several persons.

One man can commit terrorism. There is a federal crime on the books. If you burn a cross on someone's lawn, with terroristic intent, you can be charged as a terrorist -- no need of overseas coconspirators.

Yet the government seems to always take the position that terrorism requires a conspiracy, specifically an overseas conspiracy connected to a major terrorist group, with one and only one type of terrorism.

The cop giving the press conference is pretty straight-up, though. I just cannot accept this continuing claim that it's not "terror" unless you can find a phone call to ISIS central.

What? The cop just said that he didn't know of any additional surveillance of organizations or groups posing a possible terrorist threat, because that's a federal matter.

What?

Does Philly not have its own terror surveillance teams? It certainly must. I don't know if he's being evasive or if he just misunderstood the question.

Video: The cop at the press conference said he had no idea how Hartnett survived, or returned fire on the subject. Asked if Hartnett was wearing a bullet proof vest, he said, "First of all, he was armed with the grace of God," because he couldn't see any other explanation for how he survived.

Below, the video of Hartnett being shot like a fish in a barrel, but then getting out of the car to arrest the suspect.

Arrest him with bullets, I mean.

We Need Moar Gun Lawz: The terrorist was arrested for a gun crime in 2012 but was allowed to plead to a lesser offense, and did no time.

posted by Ace at 01:10 PM

| Access Comments