2nd UPDATE |
Pittsburgh — A suspect is dead after a shootout with seven deputies in a Pittsburgh neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
Officials say that William Hardison Sr. was pronounced dead just after 5 p.m., nearly seven hours after an intense gun battle started while deputies were serving a court ordered eviction notice.
Witnesses say they heard hundreds of gunshots.
One deputy was injured while trying to take cover while the suspect was shooting.
Officials say the suspect was given the opportunity to surrender, but all efforts were unsuccessful.
"Once we arrived at the house, it took us several minutes to make contact with the subject at which time we did, and he immediately opened fire on our deputies. They began to take cover, returned fire, and engaged in a pretty significant gun battle. The only injury we had was initially reported to be that one of our deputies was shot, however that wasn't the case. He was injured when he dove over a partition trying to take cover while he was taking fire and returning fire. He had a superficial head injury which just required a few stitches. We certainly didn't expect this. Certainly, there's factors that go into these types of things we do. We evaluate, we respond accordingly, but we certainly had no information whatsoever that this individual was this dangerous,” said Allegheny County sheriff Kevin Kraus.
UPDATE |
A person facing eviction opened fire from inside a Pittsburgh home Wednesday and was later pronounced dead after a siege that lasted much of the day, authorities said.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said city emergency medical service responders pronounced the person dead shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday after the hourslong siege that forced evacuations from the city's Garfield neighborhood.
The Allegheny County Sheriff's Office said its people were trying to serve the eviction notice when the occupant began firing shots. Witnesses said they heard what sounded like hundreds of shots beginning at about 11 a.m. Wednesday. Hours into the siege, more gunfire erupted.
A sergeant leading the eviction notice detail suffered an injury unrelated to gunfire and is doing OK, sheriff's office spokesman Mike Manko said.
A state police spokesperson said drones were used during the siege, and a large number of police and other first responders were at the scene, just a few blocks from a children's hospital.
Pittsburgh Public Safety, a grouping of law enforcement and other emergency responders in the city, did not immediately elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the death of the person.
ORIGINAL |
Police in Pittsburgh were met with gunfire Wednesday as they tried to serve an eviction notice in the city's Garfield neighborhood.
The suspect apparently opened fire with a military-style long rifle as deputies knocked on the door of a home in this usually quiet neighborhood.
One deputy was hurt when he fell down escaping that gunfire, but so far, no one has been shot.
Since the initial contact, hundreds of shots have been fired and two police drones have been shot down.
Officers have shut down several blocks around the area and are working to evacuate nearby homes.
At this time the suspect remains barricaded, and nerves are on edge.
One man was on the phone with his daughter who was at home in the house behind where the shooter was firing and waiting for help to arrive.
Fortunately, he got word that she was with an officer and safe.
"My adrenaline is rushing. I want to get her out of there. Exit this area and get to safety. This is one of the craziest things that's ever happened on this side of town, besides that shooting with the three officers in Stan Heights. This is literally probably the most insane thing that's ever happened. You can see, look around, we've never seen anything like this before. So, this is a pretty crazy world we are living in."
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