New Jersey 20-year-old charged with attempted murder for unsuccessfully firing gun at officer's head

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A New Jersey man was charged with attempted murder Thursday after he pointed a stolen handgun at a police officer's head in Pennsylvania and pulled the trigger.

A Whitemarsh Township police officer responded to a call Wednesday morning of a man trying to break into cars. 

When the officer arrived at the scene, he saw 20-year-old Reynaldo Figueroa-Ardon immediately start walking away from him. 

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The officer grabbed the suspect's arm, at which point Figueroa-Ardon allegedly swung a gun around, pointed it at the officer's head and pulled the trigger three times. 

Reynaldo Figueroa-Ardon, 20, was charged with attempted murder after he allegedly tried to shoot a police officer in the head with a stolen handgun.  (Montgomery County Sheriff's Office)

The gun had bullets in the magazine, but a round was not chambered, so it didn't fire. 

"For a police officer, even a routine call can turn deadly in moments," Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said Thursday. "All of us in law enforcement are feeling very blessed right now that the defendant wasn’t able to rack a bullet into the chamber of the stolen gun before he pulled the trigger."

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The officer wrestled Figueroa-Ardon to the ground and held him there until other officers arrived. 

Figueroa-Ardon is currently being held in lieu of a $3.5 million bail on charges of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, receiving stolen property, illegal possession of a firearm, and other crimes.