D.A.'s Office To Oversee Investigation Into Route 51 Shootout
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It was a dangerous scene that put both police and the public in harm's way.
When it was all over, about 100 shell casings littered Route 51 and the suspect was dead.
Pittsburgh Police say their investigation into the sequence of events that started when the suspect, Tyrone Harris, began walking the streets of Knoxville allegedly with a semi-automatic weapon and ended in a shootout, is far from over.
"When every other sane person on the planet is moving away from it, officers are moving closer and closer to the sound of gunfire," said Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay.
Police say Harris fired first in a heavy traffic area of Route 51, and not only did officers have to try and stop him, they had to try to do it without hurting anyone else.
"They were very surgical in being able to shield members of the public from harm," said Chief McLay.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office did an autopsy on Harris Tuesday.
The Allegheny County District Attorney's Office will oversee the investigation onto the shooting, which involved four Pittsburgh Police officers and one Port Authority officer.
"Our officers had to leave the safety and cover of vehicles and cars and place themselves in harm's way in order to direct fire at such a point that they can stop the threat without jeopardizing human life," said Chief McLay.
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