Joseph A. Gambardello
The Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — Police are looking for the shooter who fired at an off-duty police officer when he got out of his car to stop an assault on a man outside a West Philadelphia bar, authorities said.
The incident took place about 1:30 a.m. outside the Barn, a bar at 4901 Catharine St. in the Cedar Park neighborhood.
Police said an off-duty officer with five years on the force was driving by when he saw a man being assaulted and stopped to break up the attack.
While assisting the man, gunfire rang out and the officer got back into his car and drove down the street before calling 911, police said. Two bullets struck the car but the officer and a passenger in the car escaped harm.
It was not immediately clear if the officer, whose name was not released, identified himself as police when he intervened. Police said the officer did not pull his weapon during the incident.
The motive behind the assault also was not immediately known but police said the victim was not seriously injured.
Investigators have surveillance videos to help them find the shooter.
The shooting followed a violent night in the city during which one person was killed and five others wounded in a spate of shootings.