Philly officer wounded in January ambush gets valor award - and a baby

Officer Jesse Hartnett, wounded in January when a gunman ambushed him in his patrol car, on Wednesday received the department's Sgt. Robert Wilson III Valor Award, six days after another gift arrived Dec. 1 - his baby daughter, Emma Grace.

Hartnett was shot three times in his left arm, allegedly by Edward Archer of Yeadon, while sitting in his patrol car Jan. 7 in West Philadelphia, police said. Despite his injuries, he returned fire and wounded Archer, who later pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State in police interviews, authorities said. Archer is slated for trial in June.

On April 11, Hartnett threw out the first pitch at the Phillies home opener and then proposed to his girlfriend on the field. The two were married July 1.

But Hartnett still has a long road ahead.

"It's going good. It's very slow," he said of his recovery. "I have another surgery coming up at the end of the month. It's coming along."

Hartnett, 33, was one of dozens of police officers and civilians honored Wednesday during the department's biannual ceremony at the Heroes Hall at FOP Lodge 5 in Northeast Philadelphia.

The valor award was named in memory of Sgt. Robert Wilson III, who died in 2015 during a robbery at a North Philadelphia GameStop. Wilson drew the robbers' attention away from civilians in the store before a violent gun battle.

On May 16, President Obama posthumously awarded Wilson the national Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor.

Hartnett said it was an honor to receive a medal named for Wilson.

"When I heard Rob got shot and I heard about the way that he presented himself and fought to try and save his life and to save the other people's lives in the store, it just puts chills through your body, even thinking about it now, how heroic and strong of a person he was," Hartnett said.

Hartnett deflected praise to two officers who stood beside him on the stage Wednesday - Ronald Green and Michael Kane, who were awarded life-saving medals for grabbing hold of Hartnett Jan. 7 and taking him to the hospital.

"It's just very, very appreciated, especially for the two guys that saved my life and got me to the hospital," he said. "I am forever grateful to them."

Green said he was honored to stand by Hartnett's side.

"He's actually my hero," Green said of Hartnett. "I'm just glad he's able to stand and we can be honored with him."

Many other officers were recognized with life-saving awards at the ceremony, for everything from applying tourniquets and using defibrillators to saving suicidal people and administering the anti-opioid drug Narcan.

Also presented Wednesday were awards for bravery, tactical de-escalation, and heroism.

The heroism award went to Officer Michael Heston, who, while off duty in June, ran into a burning building to search for a 5-year-old child. Heat and smoke forced him from the house, but responding firefighters were able to save the two occupants.

Two civilians, Francisco Ortiz and Eddie Dobbs, were honored for running into a burning building in North Philadelphia and saving a woman and her child from the fire.

Another civilian, Kiernan Chaloner, was recognized for spotting and stopping a porch package thief in Powelton. Civilians from the Muslim American Society were honored for making breakfast for officers detailed to the city's Puerto Rican Day Parade.

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