Teen, 16, arrested in shots fired at officers; 1 grazed

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PHILADELPHIA — A teenager has been arrested in connection with shots fired at Philadelphia police officers, one of whom suffered a graze wound on the head, authorities said.

Police said two uniformed officers were responding to a carjacking report in north Philadelphia shortly after 8 p.m. Monday. The officers found the stolen car and saw a man getting out of a vehicle parked in front of it, and the officers were trying to turn around to investigate further when they came under fire, police said.

One officer was grazed on the head and the other was cut on the face by flying glass when the car window was shot out, police said. Both were treated and released.

Police said a 16-year-old youth from Philadelphia is charged in the attempted homicide of the officer and with aggravated assault, assault of a law enforcement officer and related offenses.

Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said in a statement that despite his age, the youth has an extensive criminal record “and it is nothing short of a miracle that we aren’t planning funerals for two of our brave police officers.”

“While there is little doubt that this young man has encountered numerous systemic failures during his short life, none of those circumstances have given him the right to terrorize society in the manner in which he has,” she said.

Outlaw told reporters at the scene Tuesday night that it was “very brazen and very disrespectful, quite frankly” for someone to to feel emboldened enough to open fire on a uniformed officer with other police cars or officers nearby.

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