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Cop's bullet flies into Temple U. Hospital lobby

An off-duty Philadelphia police officer's bullet flew into a lobby at Temple University Hospital late Tuesday, one of three shots he fired at a driver whose car had collided with his motorcycle in North Philadelphia, police said.

An off-duty Philadelphia police officer's bullet flew into a lobby at Temple University Hospital late Tuesday, one of three shots he fired at a driver whose car had collided with his motorcycle in North Philadelphia, police said.

No one was seriously injured, although the officer - whom police did not identify Wednesday - was treated for abrasions to his knees and elbows. He is an eight-year veteran assigned to North Philadelphia's 22nd District, police said.

It was the second time in less than a month that a Philadelphia officer had fired at a moving vehicle, which is generally against Police Department regulations.

The car's driver, who also was not identified by police, turned himself in for questioning Wednesday morning, police said. Neither he nor the officer had been charged with a crime as of Wednesday night.

According to a police news release, the officer began shooting at the driver after a collision near Broad and Tioga Streets around 11:15 p.m. The driver, in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo sedan, made a left turn across traffic from a southbound lane of Broad Street and struck the northbound officer, police said.

The officer "was thrown from his motorcycle, flipped over the hood" of the car, and landed on the street, police said. He then approached the car and identified himself as a police officer, authorities said, but the motorist tried to drive away. The officer, standing next to the driver's door, was dragged alongside the car, then "observed the driver retrieve a weapon," police said, although they did not specify which type.

The officer responded by firing three shots toward the car, according to police. At least one bullet smashed through a window at the Tioga Street entrance of the hospital's Outpatient Service Center. Construction workers Wednesday were replacing the window.

The motorist drove east on the 1300 block of Tioga Street, police said. His car later was found on the 600 block of West Cambria Street.

Police said no weapon was found in or near the car or at the scene of the crash.

Department directives generally prohibit officers from shooting at moving vehicles unless someone inside "is immediately threatening the officer or another person with deadly force by means other than the vehicle," such as firing out the window.

On May 4, Officer Shannon Coolbaugh, a seven-year veteran, fatally shot 52-year-old Richard Ferretti, who police said was driving toward him on the 6300 block of Overbrook Avenue in Overbrook.

Ross said at the time that after Coolbaugh and other officers pursued Ferretti's vehicle as he was driving erratically around 1 a.m., Coolbaugh, who was in plainclothes, "felt he was being boxed in" by Ferretti's car "and was in fear of his life."

He fired several shots and struck Ferretti in the chest, forcing Ferretti to lose control of the vehicle and plow into a row of parked cars.

Coolbaugh was placed on desk duty afterward, standard policy in officer-involved shootings.

Ross said he was "somewhat concerned about the tactics" in that case.

The commissioner said Wednesday that investigators were searching for surveillance video to help determine what happened after Tuesday night's crash.

The officer will be placed on desk duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

cpalmer@phillynews.com

215-854-2817 @cs_palmer