A man faces attempted murder charges after a Thursday night vehicle pursuit through Tacony and Mayfair that included the suspect firing at police officers.
The suspect is Tajan Durham, 28.
According to police, 15th district officers came upon a black Jeep on the 6800 block of Ditman St. at about 5:20 p.m. The vehicle had no tag and was believed to have been used in several robberies.
Officers watched the vehicle until a man jumped inside and drove off. A high-speed pursuit ensued, and Durham is alleged to have fired several shots at officers on the 3100 block of St. Vincent St. The chase ended when the Jeep struck a pole on the 7300 block of Revere St.
The suspect jumped out and allegedly fired eight additional times at police with a semi-automatic Glock. Police said he fled and tossed the weapon onto the roof of the OfficeMax at 7231 Roosevelt Blvd. He tried to hide under a car, but was apprehended.
Neither the suspect nor officers were injured, and no officers fired their guns.
“This incident posed tremendous danger to the community, and it is a credit to the training and professionalism of Philadelphia Police that they were not physically harmed and that Mr. Durham was taken into custody without a single shot fired by our officers, no injuries to the defendant, and no physical harm done to nearby drivers, passengers and pedestrians,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said. “Like so many people who are arrested for shootings, Mr. Durham was not permitted under the law to own a firearm. Yet, recklessly loose firearm regulations made access to guns and munitions possible for him, as they do so many individuals who engage in violent crime. We are tired of hearing empty words of support for law enforcement from politicians in Harrisburg and Washington who not only refuse to pass restrictions on gun manufacturing or sales but try to block local governments from enacting reasonable gun laws to protect the public and save lives.” ••
