Montco DA clears officer in shooting driver who attempted to run him over
The Plymouth Township officer shot at Dalton Janiczek "to end the threat to his own life and to end the threat to bystanders in the area," according to DA Kevin Steele.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said Friday that a Plymouth Township officer was justified in shooting a man who wielded a Mercedes G63 like a weapon last month, intending to run over and kill the officer.
The officer, whom Steele did not identify, fired six shots on Oct. 24 at Dalton Janiczek in the parking lot of a Doubletree Hotel on Fountain Road while attempting to perform a traffic stop.
“The police officer shot at the driver of the vehicle to end the threat to his own life and to end the threat to bystanders in the area,” Steele said. “Our investigation determined the facts of this case supported the use of deadly force by the police officer.”
Janiczek, 21, suffered a graze wound to his head in the shooting. The Lower Gwynedd native was charged with attempted murder of a police officer and related crimes and remains in custody, denied bail.
His attorney, Tim Woodward, declined to comment Friday.
Earlier that day, Janiczek had threatened to blow up a police station in Chester County, and had fled from other officers’ attempts to pull him over, police said. When he saw the Plymouth Township officer in the hotel parking lot, Janiczek accelerated his SUV toward him, clearly in an attempt to strike him, according to Steele.
The officer fired at the vehicle’s windshield before being struck and knocked to the ground. He suffered injuries to his legs, and required several surgeries to heal the damage that had been inflicted.
Janiczek struck the officer with the car three more times as the officer was lying on the ground, applying a tourniquet to his leg.
Janiczek then fled the area and crossed the double yellow line on Walton Road, striking another Plymouth Township police car, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. He continued to drive, and later caused a head-on collision with a vehicle driven by a Plymouth Township police sergeant, who was hospitalized with injuries to his legs.
After that final crash, Janiczek was taken into custody. As he was led away, Janiczek threatened the group, telling one officer he was going to kill him if he wasn’t restrained, according to investigators.