The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office continues to investigate an officer-involved shooting occurring in the 1400 block of Union Grove Road, East Earl Township, on Tuesday, February 1.

Members of the United States Marshals’ Eastern District Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force were serving multiple warrants for a male wanted on charges including Burglary, Resisting Arrest, Stalking, Simple Assault, Criminal Trespass, Intimidation of a Witness and Terroristic Threats. 

The officers serving the warrants discovered the subject in the basement of the residence in a small crawlspace-like area. The male subject failed to comply with verbal commands from the officers and threatened them with a small blowtorch and cinder blocks.

The officers deployed tasers and a ballistic sponge round that were ineffective in getting the subject to comply. At this time, the officers retreated out of the house and evacuated all other people from the residence. Lancaster County Detectives found taser wires and the sponge round in the basement.

The subject then exited the front door of the residence carrying a large, circular saw blade and the blowtorch. The male then approached and entered a tan Chrysler minivan, dropping the saw blade on the ground as he entered the driver’s seat. The vehicle was parked facing the street in a lot in the front of the residence.

Five officers converged on the vehicle and again gave verbal commands to comply, which the subject ignored. The subject started the car and began to move while two officers were in the path of the vehicle. As the vehicle lurched forward, officers fired multiple shots at the subject, who was struck multiple times.

The vehicle crashed to a stop across the street and the officers removed the subject from the vehicle and aid was rendered by the officers. The blowtorch was later found by Lancaster County Detectives in the area of the crash.

The subject remains under guard in a local hospital.

The investigation is still in its early stages. Numerous agencies are involved to include federal, state and local police departments and numerous witnesses must be interviewed. The County Detectives unit is actively working this investigation. Charges are pending.  

As in any officer-involved shooting, District Attorney Heather Adams will make the final determination on police use of force at the completion of the investigation.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.