Monroeville police officer shot multiple times by suspect wanted in Crumbl Cookies armed robbery
MONROEVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) — A Monroeville police sergeant is recovering at the hospital and is expected to be OK after a man shot him multiple times while the officer was in his car by the entrance to Stonecliffe Apartments.
Police said it started with an armed robbery about a half mile away at the Crumbl Cookie store.
Police haven't identified the officer involved or the suspect. They say the suspect is refusing to cooperate with their investigation, including giving any type of ID on who he is.
Lonnie Thomas was in bed, watching TV at his home by Victoria Drive and Virgin Street when he heard the sound of sirens.
"There was definitely more noise than you usually hear," Thomas said. "You could hear the sound and it got a little more intense, and then it seemed like it faded away, and then it picked up again."
They were coming from two spots close by. The first was around 9:15 p.m. Wednesday, when Allegheny County Police Superintendent Chris Kearns said Monroeville police were called to respond to an armed robbery at Crumbl Cookies off William Penn Highway at the Miracle Mile Shopping Center.
Minutes later, a sergeant driving east on Monroeville Boulevard found the suspect near Stonecliffe Drive.
"As the officer was approaching in his vehicle, the suspect suddenly produced a handgun and fired multiple shots at the supervisor," Kearns said.
PHOTO GALLERY: Monroeville Police officer shot following armed robbery
According to court records, bullets struck the sergeant at least three times while he was still in his car, injuring his left elbow and left hip. They also hit and damaged his vehicle. Investigators recovered 16 casings on the scene and two handguns.
The sergeant injured was rushed to Forbes Regional Medical Center.
Monroeville Police Chief Kenneth D. Cole said on Saturday that the injured officer had been discharged from the hospital and continues to recover.
Within a minute, officers found the suspect and took him into custody on charges of attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault and assault of a law enforcement officer by discharging a firearm.
"Everybody has moments of desperation, but ask for some help, do something else, you know? Don't think that what you see in the movies is going to be how it works out, because it is not," Thomas said.
The suspect, despite being uncooperative, was ultimately identified as 32-year-old Jamal Brooks. He is being charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, and assault of a law enforcement officer.
A judge denied bail at the suspect's arraignment Thursday morning.
Some shoppers now feel on edge. Lisa Lock says she just missed the incident last night when she was on her way to pick up an order of cookies.
"I actually came last night, and so it was closed and then on the way home, I saw the police cars flying past me," she said.
Crumbl Cookie released a statement saying it was "deeply saddened" by the incident and is fully cooperating with law enforcement.
"We understand the impact this incident may have on the local community. As we navigate through this situation, our focus remains on supporting the affected individuals and working collectively with the community to foster a sense of security," the statement said in part.
Second Monroeville officer recently injured in shooting
This marks the second time in recent months that a Monroeville Police officer was shot.
"This is the second one that's occurred here in the past two months, roughly," Chief Cole said. "And it's the second one in the history of the police department going back to the 1950s."
WATCH: Monroeville officer shot by armed robbery suspect
In November, an officer was shot in the arm and the leg in Allegheny Township following a chase that began in Pitcairn and took numerous law enforcement officers through Murrysville into Westmoreland County.
The officer who was severely wounded in November has yet to return to work.
"I think somebody upstairs is keeping an eye on us, thank God," Chief Cole said in regard to the possibility of both incidents having the potential to have turned out much worse than they did.
Allegheny County police are investigating the shooting in Monroeville.