Caln Township police officer shoots man in Chester County
The man was shot in the leg after he allegedly stole a vehicle. Police say he said “I’ll shoot” as he clutched his hands together and pointed at them.
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A member of the Caln Township Police Department shot an unarmed man during a suspected vehicle theft early Wednesday morning, according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.
Police said the man crashed a vehicle he stole from a nearby Wawa parking lot and allegedly motioned to officers that he had a gun, saying, “I’ll shoot.”
An officer fired four shots at the man, with one striking him in the right leg.
The man was transported to Paoli Hospital and treated for a gunshot wound to the thigh and an elbow fracture. He is expected to survive.
Caln Township officers encountered the man shortly before 2 a.m. when responding to reports of a stolen vehicle at a Downingtown Wawa. When officers arrived, the man allegedly stole a second vehicle and fled into a residential neighborhood.
As the vehicle approached the intersection of Westerham and Shelburne Roads, it rammed into a Caln officer’s patrol car at a high speed as the officer was attempting to place a spike strip in the road to puncture the vehicle’s tires, officials said. The officer was hit with debris, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The suspect exited the crashed vehicle and started to walk away from the scene until officers approached. He then turned around and reached his hands behind his back.
The man then allegedly told officers he would shoot them while raising his hands “clutched together” and pointing at them.
After the officer shot him, the suspect said he was looking for his gun, making motions the District Attorney’s Office said appeared to be “acting as if he had a firearm.”
When officers got closer and saw he was unarmed, they attempted to de-escalate the situation. The District Attorney’s Office did not immediately comment on what de-escalation meant.
Officers then used a stun gun on the man as he opened the passenger door of the stolen vehicle, they said. In addition to treatment for the gunshot wound, the man is being treated for the elbow fracture.
The District Attorney’s Office did not immediately comment on how the man’s elbow was fractured. The office said the information was preliminary and pending full review.