What we know about the man accused of shooting a Philadelphia officer – NBC10 Philadelphia

The man accused of shooting a Philadelphia police officer over the weekend shot at police during a carjacking in Puerto Rico more than a decade ago, according to police sources and a Puerto Rican newspaper .

Ramon Rodriguez Vázquez, 36, is charged with two counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, violation of law uniform on firearms, escape and other related offenses.

The ordeal took place on Saturday June 22, shortly before 8 p.m., when two 25^th District officers conducted a traffic stop on a dark blue 2003 Toyota Echo along the 3600 block of F Street in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. The traffic stop turned into an actual stop and a tow truck was called to confiscate the vehicle because the driver – later identified as Vázquez – did not have a license and the car was not registered, they said. indicated the investigators.

The tow truck arrived at the scene and Vázquez made a phone call, officials said. Two women and a man then arrived in a separate car and walked toward the Toyota Echo, police said.

The traffic stop then continued for another 30 minutes and the police took an inventory of what was inside the car, according to investigators.

One of the officers then spotted a case on the floor of the Echo, police said. That's when Vazquez fled and officers chased him, investigators said.

Vázquez then allegedly turned and fired three shots at the two officers, hitting one of them – a 31-year-old officer and six-year veteran – in the neck. The injured officer's partner returned fire at Vázquez at least once, officials said.

The tow truck driver helped the injured officer into a car. The officer was transported to Temple University Hospital where he remains on life support days later.

Vázquez continued to flee with a gun in his hand, police said.

At one point, he ran into a garage along G Street, took off a white shirt, left it on a sidewalk and continued to flee with a dark shirt, according to investigators.

Vázquez then arrived at G and Tioga streets where he attempted to carjack a brown minivan that was in the intersection, police said. He failed in his attempt, according to Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore.

“He pulls the door. He's opening the door. It looks like he’s trying to take over this vehicle,” Vanore said. “The operator took off. I have never been in this vehicle. We don't know who was inside that car. We would have loved to talk to them.

After the carjacking failed, Vázquez continued to flee on foot and arrived at a home on East Schiller Street where he confronted a man who was sitting on the stoop, police said. Vázquez allegedly threatened the man at gunpoint and forced him into his home where he was barricaded inside.

“At that point, he told me he was just sitting on his step,” the man's neighbor, who did not wish to be identified, told NBC10. “He was vaping and the guy walks in like he lives there.”

The man told NBC10 that Vázquez took his friend's phone and made other calls in an attempt to escape.

“He grabbed his phone. His own cell phone. His own iPhone,” the man said. “He took his phone and he wanted to make all kinds of calls to help him and tell him where he was. 'Pick me up. I shot a cop. I shot him three times and the last shot apparently hit him in the neck.'”

At one point, Vázquez allowed the man to leave, authorities said.

That man then told responding officers that Vázquez was inside his home, according to investigators. After a barricade situation, Vázquez was arrested shortly after.

Vázquez remains in custody on $12.5 million bail and his next court appearance is scheduled for July.

The injured police officer remains on life support. Authorities have not released his identity to respect his family's privacy.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel and Mayor Cherelle Parker asked city residents to pray for the officer as he continues to fight for his life.

Ramon Rodriguez Vázquez allegedly involved in 2011 shooting

According to police sources and reports from a Puerto Rican newspaper, Vázquez was charged with attempted murder in connection with an incident in Puerto Rico in 2011.

According to the report, Vázquez was accused of shooting at police officers when he was 21 years old. At the time, Puerto Rico police were pursuing Vázquez and another man for about nine miles in a vehicle they had hijacked, according to the report. During the chase, Vázquez and the other man fired at the officers but did not hit anyone, damaging their vehicle.

Vázquez and the other man were eventually captured and taken into custody at Bayamón Prison in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, according to court documents.