PHILADELPHIA – Investigators in Philadelphia provided new details Monday on a traffic stop turned shooting that critically wounded a Philadelphia police officer over the weekend.
In a tragic incident in Kensington, a Philadelphia police officer was critically injured during a routine traffic stop on Saturday evening. Ramon Rodriguez Vazquez, 36, has been charged with multiple crimes, including two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and aggravated assault.
Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore explained that officers stopped Vazquez’s unregistered Toyota on the 3500 block of Epp Street around 7 p.m. When officers found a gun holster in the vehicle, Vazquez attempted to flee, firing three shots and striking one officer in the neck. The injured officer was quickly taken to Temple University Hospital with the help of a tow truck driver on the scene.
Vazquez’s escape efforts included an attempted carjacking and forcing a 20-year-old man into a home at gunpoint. A SWAT team eventually arrested him inside the home, recovering a Glock 26 9mm handgun.
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Vazquez is being held on $12 million bail. District Attorney Larry Krasner expressed outrage over the incident, while Mayor Cherelle Parker requested prayers for the critically injured officer, who is on life support.
This incident is part of a troubling trend of violence against Philadelphia police, with one officer killed and eight wounded by gunfire in the past eight months. This ongoing violence underscores the dangers faced by law enforcement and the need for community support and vigilance.
