Man claiming allegiance to IS shoots US cop

A man claiming allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group shot and seriously wounded a police officer in Philadelphia, opening fire multiple times at point blank range with a stolen weapon, police said on Friday.

The assassination attempt comes amid heightened security in the US following last month's assault by a radicalized Muslim couple in California that killed 14 people, and the November terror attacks in Paris.

Police officer Jesse Hartnett, 33, was shot three times in his left arm as he sat in his patrol car late on Thursday in the northeastern city. Police said they were astonished he survived.

Police identified the gunman, who was arrested minutes after the shooting, as Edward Archer, and stated that he has a criminal record and resides in West Philadelphia.

Philadelphia police commissioner Richard Ross called the attack "absolutely chilling" and described the officer's injuries as "very, very serious".

Stills captured from video surveillance and released to the press show the suspect opening fire as he walks towards the patrol car, extending his arm into the vehicle and then continuing to fire as he flees on foot.

The officer exited his vehicle, despite being injured, and managed to return fire, hitting the suspect who was quickly arrested.

"He stated that he pledges his allegiance to Islamic State, follows Allah and that is the reason he was called upon to do this," homicide police Captain James Clark told a news conference.

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Officials did not specify if Archer was in direct contact with militant groups in the Middle East.

Police said it was unclear how the suspect obtained the firearm, which was stolen from police in October 2013.

"That is one of the things that you absolutely regret the most, that an officer's gun is stolen and it is used against one of your own," Ross said.

‘Does not represent the religion’

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney praised Harnett's bravery but urged people to draw no link between the criminal act and Islam.

"That is abhorrent, it's terrible and it does not represent the religion in any way shape or form or any of its teachings," Kenney said.

"This is a criminal with a stolen gun trying to kill one of our officers. It has nothing to do with being a Muslim."

Thursday's shooting is likely to raise further concerns about the threat posed by homegrown extremists within the United States, inspired to act by IS jihadists based in Iraq and Syria.

Muslim community activists have already decried what they call an unprecedented anti-Muslim backlash in the wake of the Paris attacks.

The head of the FBI, James Comey, told lawmakers last year that upwards of 200 Americans have traveled or attempted to travel to Syria to join IS.