Philadelphia Police Investigating Further Possible Threat To Law Enforcement

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Philadelphia Police, the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force are investigating a reported threat against police.

The report comes on the heels of Thursday night's shooting in West Philadelphia that sent one officer to the hospital in critical condition.

FOX 29 has obtained a report that authorities received an anonymous tip that the alleged gunman who opened fire on an officer in Thursday night's shooting, may have been part of a small group.

According to the report, the tipster stated that the suspect in Thursday's shooting, Edward Archer, was a part of a radical group, and that the threat of violence against law enforcement may not be over.

Philadelphia Police took to Facebook to address the threat investigation. According to their post, a Philadelphia officer was stopped on the street by a citizen who "alleged the defendant had an affiliation to a group with radical beliefs."

A Philadelphia Police Department Announcement:Last night a Philadelphia Police Officer was stopped by a citizen on the...

Archer, 30, is accused of opening fire on Officer Jesse Hartnett Thursday, as he sat in his patrol car.

Following his arrest, investigators say Archer admitted to acting in the name of Islam, and pledged his allegiance to the Islamic state.

"We had the suspect upstairs, where homicide unit talked to him. Right away, he didn't have anything to say. But then, he stated that he pledges his allegiance to Islamic State, he follows Allah and that is the reason he was called upon to do this," Captain James Clark said Friday, "He just kept on echoing those sentiments, and he wouldn't give us anything more than that."

At Archer's Lansdowne family home his brother tells FOX 29 the alleged gunman was not mentally ill and insist his brother was not connected to ISIS. Shane Archer says Edward did travel to Mecca but he believes the alleged shooting was more closely related to what he calls a mistreatment of black men than a religious statement.

Investigators believe Archer traveled to Saudi Arabia in 2011 and to Egypt in 2012, FBI special agent Eric Ruona said, and the purpose of that travel was being investigated by the FBI. But police said there was no indication anyone else was involved in the officer's ambush

According to police, Archer fired at least 11 shots at the unsuspecting officer, even reaching his arm into patrol car, striking Officer Hartnett in the arm three times.

As the suspect attempted to flee the scene, surveillance footage of the incident showed a wounded Hartnett step out of his vehicle and returned fire, striking Archer in the backside. Archer was apprehended by police a short time later.

Archer, who police say used a stolen police weapon in the shooting, was officially charged Saturday with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and other related charges. He was denied bail and is due back in court on January 25 th for a preliminary hearing.

Friday, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney expressed doubt that the attack was religiously motivated.

"In no way shape or form does anyone in this room believe that Islam or the teaching of Islam has anything to do with what we've just seen on that screen," the mayor said. "This is a criminal, with a stolen gun, trying to kill one of our officers."