An off-duty Philadelphia police officer was hospitalized Thursday morning after an attempted robbery in Kensington, according to police.
The 31-year-old officer was standing by his white Tesla on the 2100 block of East Westmoreland Street when an armed man in a sweatshirt attempted to rob him just after 5 a.m., police said.
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The off-duty officer handed his belongings to the robber and ran westbound toward Amber Street, police said. The robber pursued the fleeing officer and fired shots, and the officer returned fire with his personal weapon.
According to police, the robber then fled east on Westmoreland Street and got into a gray Chrysler 300 sedan that drove southbound on Collins Avenue toward Allegheny Avenue. He remains on the run.
The off-duty officer, who is a seven-year-veteran of the force, sustained a possible graze wound to his shin, police said. It is unclear if the robber was hit by gunfire.
The officer was treated and released at Temple University Hospital. Per police policy, the officer has been placed on administrative leave pending investigation of the incident. His name has not been released.