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Man charged with attempted murder after 6 police officers shot in Philadelphia

Click to play video: 'Philadelphia shooting ‘unlike anything I’ve seen in my 30 years’: police commissioner'
Philadelphia shooting ‘unlike anything I’ve seen in my 30 years’: police commissioner
WATCH: Philadelphia shooting 'unlike anything I've seen in my 30 years': police commissioner – Aug 15, 2019

The man accused of barricading himself inside a Philadelphia row house and shooting six police officers in an hours long standoff has been charged with attempted murder.

WATCH: Philadelphia police commissioner calls stand-off ‘absolutely unnerving’

Click to play video: 'Philadelphia police commissioner calls stand-off ‘absolutely unnerving’'
Philadelphia police commissioner calls stand-off ‘absolutely unnerving’

Authorities have said that the criminal background of suspect Maurice Hill should have prevented him from legally owning the firepower used during the standoff that lasted deep into the night.

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Court documents indicate that Maurice Hill, 36, faces multiple counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault on a law enforcement officer, and reckless endangering.

He was denied bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 5.

Hill is accused of shooting at officers who were serving a drug warrant Wednesday, then keeping police at bay while he fired repeatedly from inside a building.

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WATCH: ‘We have work to do!’: Philadelphia politician expresses frustration with inaction on gun violence

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‘We have work to do!’: Philadelphia politician expresses frustration with inaction on gun violence
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The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that at Saturday’s video arraignment, Hill sat with arms crossed and head down, responding “I guess” when asked whether he understood the charges.

“I am not an immediate danger,” he said after a prosecutor argued for denial of bail.

Hill had at least a semi-automatic rifle and a handgun when he opened fire Wednesday afternoon on officers serving a drug warrant, authorities said.

WATCH: Philadelphia district attorney says it’s clear suspect ‘shouldn’t have been on the streets’

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Philadelphia district attorney says it’s clear suspect ‘shouldn’t have been on the streets’

His record includes multiple arrests in Philadelphia and adjacent Delaware County between 2001 and 2012, according to online records.

Hill’s criminal convictions include assault, perjury, fleeing and eluding, escape and weapons offences.

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He served two stints in state prisons — three, counting a return for a probation violation. He was sentenced to 55 months in federal prison term over a pair of convictions for being a felon in possession of firearms.

WATCH: Philadelphia district attorney defends decision to speak with shooting suspect

Click to play video: 'Philadelphia district attorney defends decision to speak with shooting suspect'
Philadelphia district attorney defends decision to speak with shooting suspect

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross has expressed amazement that the standoff ended with no one dead and no life-threatening injuries, despite the gunman firing over 100 rounds..

The six officers struck by gunfire were released from hospitals Wednesday night.

Hill’s lawyer, Shaka Johnson, said Hill called him during the standoff asking for help surrendering. Johnson then called Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, and they patched in both Hill and the police commissioner, according to Krasner.

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Hill told Johnson he wanted to make it out alive to see his newborn daughter and teenage son again.

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