A police chief was fatally shot and an officer was wounded outside of Pittsburgh on Monday during the pursuit of a suspect wanted for a probation violation, Allegheny County authorities said.
Christopher Kearns, the Allegheny County Police superintendent, said at a news conference on Monday that the suspect, who was wanted for a probation violation for weapons, was spotted around 2 p.m. on Monday in the Brackenridge area, 20 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. The police chased the suspect on foot throughout the area, and after 4 p.m. the suspect shot at two police officers, Mr. Kearns said.
One police officer was shot in the head and died at the scene. Another police officer was shot in the leg and was taken to an area hospital, where he remained in stable condition on Monday night, Mr. Kearns said.
The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office identified the officer who was fatally shot as Justin McIntire, the Brackenridge police chief. The wounded officer was not identified.
The police identified the suspect as Aaron Swan, 28, of the Duquesne area, southeast of Pittsburgh. After the shooting, Mr. Swan was believed to have carjacked a 2014 Subaru Legacy and attempted to flee the area, Victor Joseph, the Allegheny County Police assistant superintendent, said.
The shooting prompted a search for Mr. Swan by several departments, including local and state officials, Mr. Kearns said.
In a news conference later on Monday, Mr. Kearns said that detectives later found the carjacked vehicle in the Pittsburgh area. When they tried to stop the vehicle, the driver of the vehicle attempted to flee, prompting a pursuit. The driver of the vehicle crashed the vehicle and fled into a wooded area nearby, Mr. Kearns said.
The suspect then fled the wooded area to evade the police and fired at police officers, Mr. Kearns said. The police returned fire, striking the suspect, who died at the scene, Mr. Kearns said.
Dozens of law enforcement vehicles joined a procession for Chief McIntire on Monday night, local media reported.
Josh Shapiro, the governor-elect of Pennsylvania, said on Twitter that Chief McIntire’s death was a “devastating reminder of the bravery of those who put their lives on the line every day to protect us.”
“He made the ultimate sacrifice in service to community,” Mr. Shapiro said of Chief McIntire.
The Brackenridge Police Department has four members, with a chief, a sergeant and two other officers, according to the borough’s website.
“The small towns that dot the map of Allegheny County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have special relationships with their police departments,” the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on social media. “In many of these boroughs and townships, the police department may only consist of a chief and a handful of officers. Such is the case in Brackenridge and that is why the senseless death of Brackenridge Chief Justin McIntire earlier today will reach into and tear at the very soul of the small piece of our county that hugs the bank of the Allegheny River.”
