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Man charged in confrontation that led to shooting of cop

One of three men police say were involved in a confrontation at a North Philadelphia gas station Tuesday night that led to a SWAT officer being struck in the bulletproof vest by friendly fire has been charged in the incident, according to court documents.

One of three men police say were involved in a confrontation at a North Philadelphia gas station Tuesday night that led to a SWAT officer being struck in the bulletproof vest by friendly fire has been charged in the incident, according to court documents.

Gene Autry, 20, is facing three charges related to illegally possessing a firearm. He was arraigned Thursday morning and is being held at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility on $500,000 bail, according to court documents. He's scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing Sept. 28.

The shooting ensued around 10 p.m. Tuesday night after police say a woman flagged down two SWAT officers on Poplar Street just east of Broad and told them that three men in a white Chevy Impala had pointed a gun at her. The officers spotted men and a car matching the description she gave at a BP gas station at Broad and Parrish streets and requested that two men in the car show their hands.

With that, police say the passenger of the vehicle got out of the car with a .40-caliber gun in his hand, prompting one of the cops to fire a shotgun at him, hitting him in the left arm, left leg and right hand. During that shooting, Officer Jose Roman, a 19-year veteran, was struck in his ballistic vest by a shotgun pellet. He was treated and released from the hospital the next day.

The man shot by police remains hospitalized at Temple University Hospital and has not yet been formally charged. A third man arrested in the incident has also not been charged. Cops recovered the .40-caliber the man shot by police wielded at the scene and found a 9mm handgun in the car, investigators said.

Court records show that Autry has at least two prior arrests on charges including illegal gun possession and aggravated assault. Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to charges of possession of an instrument of crime and simple assault and was sentenced to probation, a condition of which, according to court records, was that he could not possess a firearm.