STEELTON, DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. -- Steelton Police are investigating a shots fired incident that led them on a chase into Swatara Township.
They say three men were involved in the incident.
One of those men fired a gun once officers arrived on scene.
"Our officer used extreme discretion not to return fire; this could've been a tragic situation," said Chief Anthony Minium of Steelton Borough Police Department.
Steelton Police Chief Anthony Minium says the officer could've used other weapons, besides a gun, to subdue the man, but he didn't.
Minium says it all started on Second and Eleanor Streets in Steelton.
It happened Tuesday around 1:30 in the afternoon.
That's when several neighbors called and reported gunshots in the area.
Chief Minium says an officer arrived within minutes and noticed three men.
"He noticed one of the individuals had a gun in his hand. As he approached, he advised the individual to put down the gun, to which the individual turned and fired a shot. At this time, we can't say he was firing at the officer or was nervous and just discharged a round," explained Chief Minium.
Police say all three took off in different directions, 21-year-old Antoine Perry of Susquehanna Township ran inside First Baptist Church of Steelton. That's when the officer set up a perimeter outside the building.
"Cops were walking past the warehouse. They told us to shut the garage doors, they said people were outside with weapons," said Steven Penn, who was working in the area at the time of the incident.
"Because we had multiple suspects, we did put a lockdown on all the schools and all the businesses in the area," explained Chief Minium.
That included a nearby UPS facility and Steelton-Highspire School District.
Police combing the area on foot and by air for evidence and the gun used in the incident.
"I know as of this time we haven't recovered a firearm, and we know there are shots fired, and I'm sure they're very interested in finding those individuals," explained Chief Darrell Reider Swatara Township Police Department.
"Above everything else, I hope nobody got hurt," added Penn.
Police say, thankfully, nobody did get hurt.
"I think this shows you the majority of police officers are not out there to harm anybody. They're going to use the best discretion they can at the time to end things peacefully," stated Chief Minium.
Perry is facing a number of charges in connection to the incident, including fleeing from police and reckless endangerment.
Steelton Police are still looking for those other two men but don't believe anyone is in danger.
They're trying to determine if the man shot at the cop intentionally and why there were shots fired in the first place.
If you know anything about the incident, you're asked to contact Steelton Police.
The investigator officer is Detective Shaub and his email: Wshaub@steeltonpa.com.
People can call him at 717-939-9841 ext. 5025.
