Rookie Officer Shot In Face Chased Suspect More Than 3 Blocks (Phila, PA)

PHILADELPHIA -- Police said they have a suspected gunman in custody and are talking to two other persons of interest in the shooting of a Philadelphia police officer during a West Philadelphia traffic stop Monday morning.

Struck with the blast from a sawed-off shotgun was 21-year-old Officer Richard Decoatsworth, a March 2007 graduate of the police academy and 16th District officer.

He was rushed to Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in a police car, listed in critical but stable condition and taken in for reconstructive surgery Monday afternoon.

Antonio Coulter, 20, of West Philadelphia, was charged Tuesday night with attempted murder, aggrevated assault and related offenses, police said.

Coulter was not only cooperating with police, but sources said he confessed to the shooting, NBC 10's Deanna Durante reported.

"As he stopped the car, there were three males inside the car," Johnson said. "The males got out of the car and began walking down the street. This officer called the males back and, as he called them back, one male reached into the automobile that he was in, got onto the hood of the car and shot the officer one time in the face with a sawed-off shotgun."

The rookie officer opened fire and chased the shooter for three and a half blocks before, due to loss of blood, he had to sit down on the street, Johnson said.

But he also said the officer was "very, very lucky," because he got shot at close-range with bird shot, not buckshot, which is much more powerful. If the pellets had dispersed further, his injuries also could have been worse.

Thank you for posting this RDTF.
Philly just passed their 300th murder this year.
I will pray for the officer, his shift mates and his family.

Let’s check for updates.

http://www.policeone.com/officer-shootings/articles/1357307/

9/24/2007

“Rookie Phila. officer shot in face during traffic stop”
By Barbara Boyer, Larry Eichel and Andrew Maykuth
The Philadelphia Inquirer

PHILADELPHIA

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Decoatsworth underwent surgery into the afternoon, authorities said. He was shot on the left side with severe injuries to the jawbone and tongue. The injuries were not life-threatening, and his vision was not believed to be impaired.

Jeffery Dansette, 24, of Port Richmond, said he was just arriving in the area to work on a sewer project when he saw the officer get out of his patrol car and walk over to an old, beat-up vehicle. Police said the car was a blue Buick.

At that point, Dansette said, three young men wearing what appeared to be school uniforms and carrying school bags got out of the car and started walked down the street. The driver of the car, who was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, got out and fired two shots at the officer.

The young men then ran south toward Market Street while the officer chased the shooter north toward Race, out of Dansette’s views.

“After that I hear four more shots,” Dansette said. “I’m not sure who fired them.”

Decoatsworth was found collapsed on the 100 block of Paxon Street. A police officer rushed him to the hospital in his patrol car.”

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