Armed man shot, killed by police after opening fire on agents during search warrant in Whitehall
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- An armed man was shot and killed by police officers in Whitehall Borough after opening fire on agents during a search warrant early Tuesday morning.
Allegheny County Police say the incident started just after 6 a.m. at the Hillside Meadows apartment complex along Parkline Drive. Agents with the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Gun Violence Task Force were attempting to execute a search warrant for illegal guns inside an apartment.
When agents tried to enter the apartment, a 54-year-old man opened fire on the officers, police said.
After the shots were fired, officers and the man who started shooting both took cover and a short time later, the man returned with two guns and started shooting at officers again, according to police.
"The male later reemerged from the apartment, armed with two handguns, firing at the agents who returned fire. Several agents fired, striking the man," Allegheny County Assistant Superintendent Victor Joseph said.
The man was later identified as Selwyn Brown, according to a report from the Allegheny County Medical Examiner.
"Search warrants are never easy. Logistically, this was a very difficult search warrant to execute. It was a very tight area, and we have a person who's armed and wants to engage with law enforcement, and it was a very bad outcome," Joseph added. "As you can imagine, it was a chaotic scene, a lot of noise, firearms, a lot of individuals, gunfire, so it was very traumatic for the residents."
Briana Lowry lives on the second floor where the shooting took place.
"This is a quiet neighborhood. This never happens here. So, this is a first," said Lowry. "I got terrified because then the shooting went off. There was one shot and all of a sudden, rapid firing. It was like literally outside my apartment door."
She said neighbors, kids, and families live here off Parkline Drive.
Now, teams are spending hours investigating this officer-involved shooting that started with trying to get illegal guns off the street.
The Allegheny County Police Homicide Unit is handling the investigation into the police shooting.
No officers were injured during the incident.