CAMDEN — A first-year police officer continued to recover after being shot on Wednesday night.

21-year-old officer Patrick O'Hanlon was shot around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday with a 9 mm semi-automatic weapon near 9th and Chelton Streets in the Centerville section of Camden, and was taken to Cooper University Hospital, according to Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson.

Delronn Mahan, 19, of Lindenwold, was charged with first degree attempted murder on Thursday by Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo. He is being held at the Camden County Correctional Facility pending a pre-trial detenton hearing.

Thomson said that as O'Hanlon approached a group of three men he considered suspicious in an area known for drug activity, one man bolted and the officer ran after him.

Thompson said O'Hanlon was shot in the thigh from point blank range, after a chase on foot. The weapon jammed as Mahan tried to shoot O'Hanlon in the face, according to Thomson. The O'Hanlon wrestled the weapon away from Mahan and get control of him.

The gun was fired a such close range the officer's leg has a perfectly round circle  around the wound

The chief credited the officers who arrived with quickly putting the injured area of the O'Hanlon's leg in a tourniquet and taking him to Cooper University Hospital.

"If not for the tourniquet and if not for the rapid response of getting him into trauma as quickly as they did this situation would be much worse. The bullet missed the artery, it missed the bone but it did hit one of the main veins in his leg," Thomson said.

Thomson said the response of the all the responding officers was  "nothing short of heroic."

Manan was also charged with second degree aggravated assault, third degree aggravated assault, second degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, second degree unlawful possession of a weapon, third degree resisting arrest, and second degree certain persons not to have weapons.

"He's a bad guy. He's 19 years old and in that short period of time as being an adult he has three felony convictions and he's been arrested close to a dozen times. Last night was his 10th arrest since he's 18 years age," Thomson said.

The chief added that Manan has connections to the gang known as as the Cripps.

Thomson said O'Hanlon is not married and is in the Army reserves. "He's a dilligent guardian and part of the reason,along with his fellow officers, we are able to make such strides in this city in a short amount of time," Thomson said

Thomson said they will be "building relationships" in a section of the city the chief said was 'victimized" by Manan

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

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