LITITZ BOROUGH -  From the past.

15 years ago today the Lititz area woke up to the news of an Officer shot and in grave condition, and a suspect on the loose, after an attempted warrant service during the night. Officers Steve Detz and Jevon Miller from the Lititz Borough Police Department, along with Officers Dave Burdis and Don Brady from the Warwick Township Police Department(now Northern Lancaster County Regional Police) attempted to take Daniel Faust into custody for a Misdemeanor DUI and Fleeing and Eluding warrant. When the Officers located and surrounded the vehicle Faust was in, and ordered him to exit, he locked the doors and refused. Miller utilized his baton to break the driver’s side window to gain access to Faust, at which time Faust fired two rounds from a small caliber handgun he had concealed.

One bullet fired from Faust’s weapon missed the Officers, the other bullet struck Officer Miller in his arm, narrowly missing his bullet proof vest. The bullet followed a path in his arm through his chest where it broke several ribs and punctured his right lung. Officers Detz and Burdis returned fire and believing they had struck Faust, then tended to Officer Miller who had retreated and went unconscious nearby. Officer Brady, Officer Burdis, and Officer Detz loaded Officer Miller into Officer Burdis’s Police Car and Burdis quickly transported him to the Heart of Lancaster Hospital where staff there tended to Millers wounds. Miller was subsequently taken by ambulance a few minutes later to Lancaster General Hospital where staff there began further life-saving treatment.

In the chaos of the Officers tending to Miller, Faust, who was not struck in the exchange of gunfire was able to flee the scene and went to a nearby relatives house. He was then able to flee Lititz entirely. An examination later of the vehicle Faust was in when the gunfire was exchanged showed that the bullets fired by the Officers into Faust’s vehicle were all directly at him, but were stopped by objects in the vehicle prior to reaching Faust. Faust was located later that same day in Drumore Township, Lancaster County by the U.S. Marshalls and PA State Police. Faust initiated a gun fight and was struck several times and did not survive. No other Law Enforcement personnel were injured.

Following the investigation it was learned that Faust had been involved in a “road rage” shooting earlier in the year in West Lampeter Township where he shot through a vehicle after a dispute at a drive thru restaurant. The shot fired from that incident struck a 2 year old child who was in the back seat of the vehicle. The child was struck in the leg and ultimately made a full recovery. It was also discovered in Faust’s vehicle several handguns, cocaine, and distribution paraphernalia. All of this information was obtained through further investigation, ballistic evidence, and forensic evidence after the initial warrant service. None of this information was known to the Officers on the scene of the initial warrant service who were under the assumption Faust failed to turn himself in for a Misdemeanor.

Miller spent over a week in the hospital and underwent several surgical procedures to repair what was damaged. The bullet was not able to be removed from his body as it is precariously positioned between his heart and his spine. After months of physical rehabilitation Miller eventually returned to full active duty on his birthday in June of 2006. Detz, Burdis, and Brady returned to work immediately after the investigation conducted by the District Attorneys Office determined the incident to be justified.

Detz is now a Sergeant with Lititz Police, Miller a Detective. Burdis is now a Sergeant with Northern Lancaster County Regional Police. Sadly, Donald Brady passed away shortly after his retirement in 2014.

We want to take this opportunity on the 15th year anniversary of this incident to once again THANK those that helped US in our time of need. In the immediate aftermath of the incident our station was inundated with support, get well cards, food, supplies, etc… A meal chain was set up for Miller during his recovery and for months he was provided with meals from friends, family, and the community.

From the Officers who acted so swiftly to render aid, to the Officers from all over Lancaster County, PA State Police, and Federal Law Enforcement who responded to the scene, to the hospital staff at the Heart of Lancaster(UPMC), the Warwick Ambulance Association, the Lititz Fire Company No. 1, the abundance of staff at Lancaster General Hospital that treated Miller, both during his one week stay at the hospital too the Therapists during Rehabilitation, ALL of these folks working together………THANK YOU!!

To the Families, Friends, and Loved ones of ALL of these Officers involved…………THANK YOU!!

And to the Lititz Community that supported us then, and continue to support us now………THANK YOU!!

*PS* Miller still has his favorite Get Well Card that he received at his desk(photos attached). The card is comprised of self-portraits from the 5th graders of Bonfield Elementary in 2005-06 that he later went on to teach the D.A.R.E. program too.