Pa. police officer saved by bulletproof vest; suspect at large

HARMONY TWP., Pa. -- Police were searching Wednesday for a man who may have been wounded when he traded gunfire with a western Pennsylvania police officer who was struck, but protected by a bulletproof vest.

Pennsylvania State Police were brought in to investigate after the Harmony Township officer, whose name hasn't been released, was shot about 3:45 a.m. Wednesday.

The township, in Beaver County, is about 20 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

The officer was patrolling in an unmarked cruiser when he saw the suspect trying to break into a car. The suspect shot at the officer, hitting the vehicle and the officer, once in the chest. That bullet was stopped by the vest, state police Lt. Eric Hermick said.

The officer returned fire through his own windshield. Police weren't sure whether the suspect was wounded, but found no immediate evidence - such as blood - to indicate that, they said.

Police were using dogs and helicopters to search for the suspect, and the Ambridge Area School District canceled classes Wednesday for its elementary school students and locked down middle and high school students "until the situation is resolved," according to its website.

Hermick said police were "throwing all our assets" into the search.

"We're going to find him. There's no doubt," Hermick said. "We're not going to stop until we do. We have an individual that just tried to kill a police officer in a small community like this. I mean, if you're going to shoot a police officer, you're going to shoot anybody."

The officer was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, but had been released by midday.