State Police ID Suspect Killed During Chase, Shootout With Police In Lawrence Co.
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WILMINGTON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- A suspect is dead following a police chase and shootout Thursday afternoon in Lawrence County.
Multiple police departments, including state police, were called to the scene on State Route 208 at Lonley Lane in Wilmington Township around 2:10 p.m.
The suspect, identified by state police as 40-year-old William Frazier II of New Castle, was pronounced dead at UPMC Jameson Hospital.
According to state police, Frazier is accused of shooting at a New Wilmington Borough Police cruiser during a pursuit along Route 208. The cruiser was struck by bullets several times.
State police say in the 4500 block of Route 208, Frazier stopped his car in the middle of the road, got out and began shooting at police and a passing vehicle not involved in the chase.
When state troopers got to the scene, Frazier came out from behind a nearby wooden shed with a gun. Investigators say he ignored the troopers' verbal commands and came at them in a threatening manner.
That's when Frazier was fatally wounded in a police-involved shooting.
State police say none of the officers involved in the incident were seriously injured.
Brenda Waters' Report:
However, there was a second crime scene, supposedly related to and what touched off the chase and shootout. It happened a short time before the chase on Winter Road, and Union Township Police officer responded.
"What the investigators are finding out now is - this was an incident that took place, that actually started earlier in the day, and right here with this shooting, police-involved shooting, is what culminated from that original incident," said Trooper James Long, of Pennsylvania State Police. "So, the investigators are still trying to gather a lot of information. It's still really early on in the investigation."
In that earlier incident, officials say someone allegedly fired shots at a Comcast utility worker around 1 p.m. in a drive-by shooting. The worker was hit in the arm, but is expected to be okay.
Officers in New Wilmington then began following an alleged "suspicious vehicle," and that's when the chase began.
Route 208 was closed down for much of the evening from Route 158 in New Wilmington, and also coming in from Volant. It is now back open. Winter Road was also shut down during the investigation.
State police are assisting in the investigation.
They say the incident is over and people in the area have no reason to worry about their safety.
"This incident is completely over. We have no reason to suspect anyone else was involved right now," Trooper Long said.