Robbery suspect shot by Delaware troopers dies

Delaware State Police have identified a man shot by state troopers Friday as armed robbery suspect William F. McNulty, 41, of Claymont.

McNulty died from his injuries around 6:45 p.m., according to investigators.

Police said McNulty repeatedly fled from troopers as they tried to stop him for questioning in connection with an armed robbery and robbery attempt, both of which occurred Friday morning.

In the first, a woman was withdrawing cash from an ATM inside the M&T Bank on Philadelphia Pike around 6 a.m., when a man armed with a handgun approached and demanded money.

The woman refused to comply, and the suspect fled the area, police said.

About 15 minutes later, the same armed suspect entered the 7-Eleven on Foulk Road in Wilmington and forced a clerk to turn over an undisclosed amount of cash, according to investigators.

No injuries were reported in either incident.

Detectives connected McNulty to both robberies through investigation and interviews.

State troopers first saw him around 11:30 a.m. in Claymont and tried to stop the Toyota Corolla he was driving near Governor Printz Boulevard and Princeton Avenue, police said.

McNulty refused to pull over and sped through the area, ramming several state police vehicles, according to investigators.

Troopers lost sight of the Toyota and suspended the search around noon.

McNulty again allegedly fled from police at a high rate of speed about two hours later, when troopers caught sight of him on Green Street.

Around 4:15 p.m., police encountered McNulty for a third time, as two troopers in fully-marked patrol vehicles tried to stop him on Harvey Road near Garfield Avenue, according to investigators.

Police said McNulty's car veered off the south edge of the roadway and went over a cement curb, coming to a stop with its front resting in several evergreen trees.

Both troopers got out of their car and issued commands for McNulty to stop driving and exit the vehicle.

He allegedly continued to accelerate in reverse toward them.

Police said the two troopers discharged multiple rounds from their handguns, striking the rear window of the Toyota and hitting McNulty, who was still seated in the driver's seat.

McNulty was initially admitted to the Christiana Hospital Trauma Center in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries.

The two troopers involved in the incident are six- and eight-year state police veterans assigned to Troop 1 in Penny Hill, police said.

Per divisional policy, both are being placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of an investigation by the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit.

Their names are not being released.

Harvey Road between Interstate 95 and Philadelphia Pike was closed to traffic for more than six hours as the scene was cleared.

Police said an investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.