A police officer in Delaware County is recovering after a suspect crashed his car during a police chase and opened fire on Saturday, striking the officer.
Detective Steve Byrne, a 16-year veteran of the Chester police force, returned fire and killed the suspect after being shot twice.
All the evidence from yesterday (is) just laying there. Not very pretty. It’s a sad thing, noted Jeffrey Leins from Chester when looking at the crime scene.
A day after the deadly police shooting police tape, tire tracks, and broken car parts still remained at the scene.
For Leins, he said it was a constant reminder of the chaos that took place.
I was actually about three or four blocks away, and all I heard was gunfire, said Leins. When we heard that, we knew something was going down.
The incident began around 3:30 p.m. in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Police say officers were pursuing a suspect vehicle that was believed to be involved in another shooting.
The pursuit led officers from Chester into Upland, then back into Chester where the driver of the suspect vehicle crashed on West 14th Street and Arbor Drive.
That’s when the pursuit turned deadly, and the suspect began firing at police.
As he (Byrne) attempted to pull that vehicle over, the vehicle driver got out of the car shooting his gun, firing at the police officer. The police officer returned fire, and the officer was wounded, said District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.
Byrne was shot twice in the stomach, sources say.
He was transported to Crozer-Chester Medical Center where he continued to recover on Sunday.
The suspect was also transported to Crozer-Chester Medical Center and later pronounced dead.
The FOP President for William Penn Lodge 19 for Chester City released this statement on social media:
Please keep Brother Byrne in your thoughts and prayers as he recovers from today’s incident. The professionalism of the Chester police as well as the Upland Borough and Chester Township police officers displayed today was truly remarkable.
Chester City officers operate almost daily in less-than-ideal staffing and work conditions. Despite these persistent issues, Chester officers continue to work and make a real impact on the crime in Chester City. Their daily sacrifices, time, and extra effort given on each call are clearly making a noticeable difference in Chester City.
Police have not released any further details on the suspect.
A news conference is scheduled for Monday at 2:30 p.m. where the district attorney and Chester police commissioner will provide new details on the shooting.
