Hero Police Officer Fires At Suspects

PHILADELPHIA - A decorated Philadelphia police officer, once wounded in the line of duty, fired his gun at suspects in the city's Kensington section, authorities say.

Slideshow: Images From Scene

It happened around 8:38 p.m. Tuesday on the 2000 block of E. Haggert Street.

Police said two males on a motorcycle tried to run down Officer Richard DeCoatsworth during a pursuit.

Police said DeCoatsworth fired one shot, hitting one of the suspects in the leg. The male was transported to Hahnemann University Hospital in serious condition.

Police said the second suspect, who tried to get away, was caught hiding out at his mother's house and is now in custody.

No police officers were hurt.

For some of the witnesses who saw all of this happening, it was a lot to process.

"There was little kids out here," one woman said. "There was like four little kids standing on the corner right here, plus I had one little boy standing next to me. And that's crazy that the cops are going to shoot at some guy in front of little kids."

DeCoatsworth was invited to sit with First Lady Michelle Obama during the president's economic address to Congress in February. He had garnered public attention when he was hit in the face by a shotgun blast during a car stop in October 2007.

He made news again in April when a man lunged for DeCoatsworth's gun and it went off during a struggle, wounding the man. The man ran off and was fatally shot by other officers in another confrontation.

DeCoatsworth has also received the Philadelphia Police Department's Medal of Valor Award.

The officer will be off the street while Tuesday night's shooting is investigated, per police department policy.