Rally held in Center City for officer ambushed in cruiser

CENTER CITY (WPVI) -- A march was held in support of Philadelphia Police Officer Jesse Hartnett who was ambushed last week in his cruiser.

As participants made their way down Broad Street during rush hour, they called for an end to gun violence in the city.

The demonstrators started at Broad and Girard chanting as they marched to City Hall on a frigid and blustery night.

They shouted Hartnett's name, showing support for the city's law enforcement after a traumatic few days.

"My brother is an officer with the 35th district, but it goes deeper than that. I'm going to keep saying "all lives matter," Kendrick Murray of North Philadelphia said.

The peace march and rally was organized after Officer Jesse Hartnett was shot in the arm last week in his police cruiser in West Philadelphia.

30-year-old Edward Archer was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

Police say archer has since confessed to the shooting, saying he did it in the name of Islam.

Cops who escorted the marchers said the show of support was heartwarming.

"There's so much negativity sometimes with the gun violence and other crimes that happen and we've done much better with that in the last few years. But we need to keep moving forward and this is a great way to do it," Philadelphia Police Captain Frank Palumbo said.

Many of the participants have loved ones who were killed by gun violence. Even the organizer says her brother was killed during a robbery in North Philadelphia. She says while this march is for Officer Hartnett, it still helps to keep her brother's memory alive.

"You know our family is struggling and we try to transfer our pain into something positive. So this is something we've been doing since 2012," organizer Rosalind Pichardo said.

While some marchers had hoped for a bigger turnout, they say their message is an important one.

"If we don't come out and support each other, who will?" Irene Rivera of Fountainville, Pa.