PHILADELPHIA (January 21, 2022) – Following a police pursuit on Thursday night of a suspect who fired numerous shots at officers, Tajan Durham (DOB: 5/23/1993) has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of Attempted Murder, Assault of Law Enforcement Officer, and related offenses.
Durham is alleged to have taken off at high speed after being spotted by Philadelphia Police patrol officers near the 6800 block of Dittman Avenue in a Jeep Cherokee that was of interest in a criminal investigation. At the 3100 block of St. Vincent Street, Durham is alleged to have fired several shots at the officers while continue to flee. On the 7300 block of Roosevelt Boulevard, the Jeep came to a stop after becoming stuck between two metal pollards.
Durham is alleged to have exited the Jeep and fired eight additional rounds at the four officers who had been in pursuit, as well as two additional officers who arrived on the scene. Durham is alleged to have run southbound on Revere before stopping at an Office Max parking lot, throwing a firearm onto the roof, then hiding under a vehicle. Police subsequently arrived and arrested Durham without further incident.
The discarded firearm along with surveillance video were recovered by police at the scene. During execution of a search warrant of the Jeep, police recovered another handgun, bullets, and a bulletproof vest.
The District Attorney’s Office has charged Durham with six counts each of Attempted Murder, Aggravated Assault, Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer, Simple Assault, and Recklessly Endangering Another Person. Durham is also charged with VUFA 6105, 6106, and 6108, along with Possession of an Instrument of Crime and Fleeing.
“This incident posed tremendous danger to the community, and it is a credit to the training and professionalism of Philadelphia Police that they were not physically harmed and that Mr. Durham was taken into custody without a single shot fired by our officers, no injuries to the defendant, and no physical harm done to nearby drivers, passengers, and pedestrians,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said. “Like so many people who are arrested for shootings, Mr. Durham was not permitted under the law to own a firearm. Yet, recklessly loose firearm regulations made access to guns and munitions possible for him, as they do so many individuals who engage in violent crime. We are tired of hearing empty words of support for law enforcement from politicians in Harrisburg and Washington who not only refuse to pass restrictions on gun manufacturing or sales but try to block local governments from enacting reasonable gun laws to protect the public and save lives.”
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million residents of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually.