2018 NJ State PBA
Main Convention
Full Strength
Jesse Hartnett recounts the never-ending fight
that enabled him to survive an assassination attempt
■ BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
Commotion overcame the NJ State
PBA convention when Jesse Hartnett
finished presenting his harrowing and
heroic tale. Members followed the Phil-
adelphia Police Department officer to
the foyer outside The Great Hall at Boca
Raton Resort & Club, where they lined
up to take pictures with this brother who
personified inspiration, endurance and
perseverance.
Such a scene has become a regular oc-
currence at PBA conventions–a speaker
tells a story that gets hearts racing and
reminds of the resilience, fortitude and
bravery it takes to do this job. Hartnett
had never before spoken in detail about
what happened just before midnight on
Jan. 7, 2016. He did so at the invitation
of PBA President Pat Colligan, who met
Hartnett during the Police Unity Tour
run through Philly this past May.
Hartnett even braved being the only
FOP guy among the nearly 1,000 PBA
members because he wanted to share
that even a midnight shooter who at-
tempted to assassinate a law enforce-
ment officer-allegedly as an expression
of loyalty to ISIS-cannot deter you from
“finding the strength to keep pushing
forward.” And then Hartnett articulated
the thought that got him through, that he
preached every officer should take to the
job every day: “It ain’t ending.”
Hartnett had texted his wife at 11:39
p.m. that the cold he had been nursing
was making him think about calling in
sick for the first time ever. He had just
been talking with a 25-year veteran of-
ficer about shootings and was thinking
about getting a cup of coffee to help him
make it through the tour.
“I always like to talk to him and en-
gage his experience,” Hartnett shared. “I
believe it’s always helpful to talk to your
fellow officers and hear that stuff. I nev-
er thought in a million years anybody
would try to open fire on me.”
The other officer took off and was
about three blocks ahead when Hartnett
saw the shooter, Edward Archer, coming
Jesse Hartnett (center) takes a photo with members after his speech at the NJ State PBA convention.
off the sidewalk. It happened so fast that
he didn’t have time to draw his weapon.
He got down in his patrol car and took
cover.
Hartnett recounted how he heard
“boom, boom, boom,” the metallic thud
of bullets striking his vehicle. Archer
moved closer to the car, eventually blow-
ing out the window with his 13-bullet
barrage. At that moment, Hartnett didn’t
even feel the three bullets that hit his
wrist, elbow and humerus as he used his
left arm to shield his head and save his
life.
Archer fled. Hartnett got up and saw
blood in his lap. “I knew he hit my ar-
tery,” he said. “My arm felt like it was
hanging on by a thread.”
The incident became national news
CONTINUED ON PAGE 42
www.njcopsmagazine.com
■ OCTOBER 2018 41