Bensalem police thwart robbery during drug sting

A Philadelphia man has been charged with trying to kill an undercover Bensalem officer after a drug sting and robbery went awry, police said Wednesday.

Police set up the deal Tuesday afternoon on Old Lincoln Highway near the Philadelphia city limits, according to court records. The target, an alleged dealer named Tariq Moore, had offered to sell 300 oxycodone pills for $4,000, police said.

When Moore pulled up in a GMC Yukon, the undercover officer knew something was wrong: A man was hiding under a blanket in the backseat, court records state. The officer refused to hop in.

Moore and the undercover officer agreed to make the deal outside the SUV, police said. The officer allegedly handed over $1,600, saying Moore could have the rest after he gave him the pills. Moore then began to argue and yelled to his passenger: "My man, klack him, klack him."

According to police, "klack him" is gang parlance for "shoot him."

The man in the backseat did not shoot, police said. Moore and the officer finished their exchange before Moore ran back to the car, yelling again for his accomplice to "klack him," police said.

At that point, the undercover officer revealed who he was. Moore and his alleged accomplice tried to flee, but were arrested, police said.

The man in the backseat, David McCoy, later told police that he and Moore had planned to sell fake drugs during the deal and rob the buyer if the deal fell through, court records state.

Moore, 29, of the 4700 block of Sansom Street, faces charges that include solicitation to commit murder. He remains in the Bucks County Prison with bail of $1 million.

The counts against McCoy, 25, of the 6500 block of Woodstock Street, Philadelphia, include robbery with a firearm. He remains in jail with bail set at $750,000.