The Lancaster County District Attorney says the police officer who shot a suspect earlier this month was justified when he pulled the trigger. It happened on July 11th. Detective Stanley Roache and Officer Ben Bradley were pursuing two suspects in a car in the area of Union and Prospect Streets when the passenger jumped out of the car. The officers pulled in front of the suspect and got out of their cruiser. Both officers say they saw the suspect, later identified as Richard Rivera Jr., try to pull a gun from his waistband. But the hammer of the gun was caught on his jeans. Rivera turned and ran again. As Rivera ran he managed to pull the gun out, according to the report. Roache and Bradley say they repeatedly told Rivera to drop the gun, but instead, they say he raised the gun and was in a position that would have allowed him to fire on them. Officers Bradley fired at Rivera twice, striking him once in the buttocks. He was treated at Lancaster General and then transported to Lancaster County Prison.
Police say they recovered a Smith & Wesson .357 loaded with hollow point bullets on the ground near Rivera. The gun was reported stolen in October 2013.