New Jersey police departments honored a Philadelphia officer who survived an ambush attack earlier this year.
Philadelphia Police officer Jesse Hartnett received a large shadow box with every Gloucester County police department patch during a meeting Wednesday at PBA Local 122.
Mantua Police Officers, Lieutenant Jeff Ferry, Retired Corporal Kurt Nelson and Corporal Drew Hayes had the GREAT HONOR...
Posted by Mantua Police Department NJ on Thursday, February 18, 2016
Mantua Police officials say the gift was a “show of support,” for Hartnett who is also an avid police patch collector. A few days after the shooting, police and citizens also began collecting department patches for Hartnett in order to lift his spirits.
Hartnett, 33, was hospitalized the night of Jan. 7 after 30-year-old Edward Archer shot him three times at point-blank range in an assassination attempt, according to police. Hartnett survived the shooting and even managed to shoot back at Archer, striking him, police said. After undergoing several surgeries to repair damage caused by three bullets that tore through his arm, Hartnett was released from the hospital on January 22.
Archer was arrested and charged with attempted murder, illegal-gun possession and related offenses. The gun he used, officials said, was a stolen police weapon.
A terror investigation was launched after Archer allegedly told officials he shot Hartnett in the name of Islam and pledged allegiance to ISIS. FBI officials later concluded however that Archer was not part of a terror cell and there were no indications that additional attacks were imminent.
