Kensington man charged in shooting of Philadelphia police officer

A 36-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer after officials said he shot a Philadelphia police officer in the neck, leaving him critically wounded, during a traffic stop in the city’s Kensington section Saturday night.

Ramon Rodriguez Vazquez, of Kensington, was arrested just hours after police say he shot the officer. The 31-year-old, six-and-a-half-year veteran of the force remained in critical condition, fighting for his life, at Temple University Hospital on Sunday night.

Officials on Sunday announced that Vazquez is facing more than a dozen charges, among them two counts of attempted murder and aggravated assault on an officer, as well as illegal gun possession, evading arrest, tampering with physical evidence, and related crimes.

He also was charged with burglary, kidnapping, and related offenses after police said he broke into a nearby home and barricaded himself inside, attempting to avoid arrest after the shooting.

Vazquez was ultimately arrested at that house on Schiller Street around 10 p.m. Three others who police said were in the car at the time of the traffic stop, including Vazquez’s girlfriend, were also taken into custody, though it’s not clear whether they will face charges.

The wounded officer has not yet been identified. The husband and father is “on life support, on a breathing machine, fighting for his life,” Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker posted on X, formerly Twitter.

He is one of at least eight officers who have been shot in the city in the last eight months.

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said that the incident happened during a traffic stop on the 3500 block of F Street about 7:30 p.m. During a search of the car, police noticed a gun holster. Vazquez then fled, police said, turning and firing three shots at the officers. The one officer was struck, and his partner returned fire, Bethel said.

During an emotional media briefing at the hospital, Bethel said nearly 100 officers had gathered in a hospital auditorium where they “held hands, and we prayed for our officers.

“Today, I ask the people across the city of Philadelphia to pray for our officers.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement that he and his wife were joining in those prayers.

“His family is in our thoughts — as are his fellow officers, who were forced to rush one of their own to the hospital last night,” he said. “Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day. We’re forever grateful for their service and sacrifice.”

The sentiment was echoed by Council President Kenyatta Johnson who said, in part: “Every time a Philadelphia police officer starts his/her shift, they face danger, stress, and trauma as they protect the citizens of our city.”

Temple University Police Association, the officers’ union, called the shooting a “tragic night … for our brothers and sisters with PPD.”

The shooting happened just as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was holding a campaign rally at Temple University’s Liacouras Center. During the rally, he condemned violence in general in the city, promising to send federal law enforcement if elected.

The shooting also came on the heels of the city’s announcement that it would nearly triple its police presence in Kensington.

» READ MORE: Kensington’s police force will triple this week, and more arrests are on the horizon: ‘There’s no playbook for this’

Among other police who have been shot since October is Officer Richard Mendez, who was fatally wounded that month at Philadelphia International Airport while investigating a suspected car break-in.

Also in October, three officers were shot and wounded in the city’s Rhawnhurst section while responding to a report of a domestic shooting.

In January, another officer was shot and wounded in a Fairhill convenience store. Two other officers were wounded in incidents that month.

But the city overall has had significantly lower levels of gun violence this year, according to an Inquirer analysis. Shootings are down in nearly every neighborhood of the city.

Staff writers Anthony R. Wood, Michelle Myers, and Jesse Bunch contributed to this article.