A suspected carjacker in Philadelphia got more resistance than expected Monday after the driver he allegedly shot pulled out a handgun and returned fire.
According to Philadelphia police, the incident involved the driver of a blue Volvo and a man who allegedly tried to steal the vehicle at gunpoint. NBC 10 reported that the suspect displayed a handgun and opened fire, striking the driver.
Despite being wounded, the driver was able to draw his own firearm and shoot back.
The exchange sent the suspected carjacker fleeing from the scene. Police were still searching for him afterward, and authorities had not determined whether he was hit during the gunfire.
The driver was taken to a local hospital and was listed in stable condition.
The shooting comes as Philadelphia remains at the center of a broader debate over concealed-carry permits and how the city handles applications and revocations.
Pennsylvania is a “shall issue” state, meaning authorities generally must issue a license to carry a firearm to applicants who meet the legal requirements. Philadelphia once had greater discretion than the rest of the state, but that changed following legislation enacted in the 1990s.
Act 17 of 1995 ended Philadelphia’s special status and brought the city more closely in line with statewide standards for firearm licensing.
Even so, questions about the city’s permitting practices have continued.
In June, the Second Amendment Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced an investigation into the Philadelphia Police Department’s handling of licenses to carry firearms.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon outlined the investigation in a June 9 letter to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker.
Dhillon wrote that the Justice Department would review the police department’s policies and practices concerning both the issuance and revocation of firearm licenses. The investigation also includes the department’s enforcement of Pennsylvania’s Uniform Firearms Act.
“The investigation will evaluate the PPD’s policies and practices regarding issuance and revocation of licenses to carry firearms and the PPD’s enforcement of the Pennsylvania Uniform Firearms Act of 1995,” Dhillon wrote.
The federal review is being conducted under a law that allows the Justice Department to investigate alleged patterns or practices by law enforcement agencies that may violate constitutional or federal rights.
Monday’s attempted carjacking does not by itself establish whether the wounded driver had a concealed-carry license, and police reports cited publicly did not immediately answer that question. Still, the incident is likely to draw attention because it involved an armed motorist defending himself after being shot during an alleged violent crime.
Authorities have not released the suspected carjacker’s identity. They also have not said whether investigators found evidence that he was wounded during the exchange.