25-Year-Old Cop Shot 7 Times While Investigating Drug Activity Near Philadelphia

— -- A 25-year-old police officer is in critical but stable condition after he was shot 7 times while responding to reports of a man selling drugs near Philadelphia this morning, officials said. The suspected gunman was taken into custody, police said.

Doctors said the young officer, Christopher Dorman, was lucky that he had his police vest on, according to Folcroft Chief of Police Robert Ruskowski.

Dorman was struck four times in the chest, once in the face, once in the groin and once in the leg, officials said.

"The doctors said that any one of those rounds on his vest could have been fatal," Ruskowski said.

"It's unbelievable that he's alive," Ruskowski added. "We just thank God that he had his vest on,"

The shooting happened in Folcroft, Pennsylvania, about 13 miles south of Philadelphia, after Dorman was dispatched to reports of someone selling drugs behind an apartment. The suspect then tried to shoot a second officer who responded, officials said.

Dorman has been a Folcroft police officer for a little over a year and has also been a volunteer firefighter there, the police chief said.

"His dream was to be a Folcroft officer," Ruskowski said.

The suspect, Dante Brooks Island, was described by Delaware County District Attorney John Whelan as a career criminal and a drug dealer. He will be charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault and related offenses, Whelan said.

Three others were detained to be questioned, Whelan said.