MCKEESPORT, Pa. — A man having a “mental health crisis” shot and killed one police officer, critically wounded a second and fired at a third before being wounded in a shootout in a western Pennsylvania city on Monday, authorities said.
Two officers were dispatched shortly after noon to a domestic disturbance call in McKeesport, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of Pittsburgh, said Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns at a press conference.
The officers tried to talk to the man but he walked away from the home, and officers were warned by a family member that he might be armed, Kearns said. The officers encountered him nearby and he “suddenly produced a handgun and shot the two McKeesport officers," Kearns said.
One officer was taken to a hospital in McKeesport, where he was pronounced dead. The second officer was flown to a Pittsburgh-area trauma center and later listed in stable condition.
Kearns said the suspect walked around the corner, where he encountered a third McKeesport officer and shot at him. The officer fired back, wounding the suspect. He was later listed in stable condition at a Pittsburgh-area trauma center. A third man whose boot was hit by a bullet didn't require medical attention.
The McKeesport Area School District said all schools and buildings were on an exterior lockdown due to police activity nearby, a lockdown that was later lifted.
Police said charges were being prepared against the suspect, who is known to McKeesport police. “They have dealt with him on past occasions,” Kearns said.
The mayor's office asked people to keep the department in their thoughts and to respect the families’ privacy “during this tragic and traumatic time.”
The president of the Fraternal Order of Police state lodge, Joseph Regan, said the officers “left their homes knowing it was their duty to protect and serve McKeesport regardless of the outcome.
“Today, they made sacrifices we hoped and prayed they would never need to make. They are heroes,” Regan said.
On Tuesday, Governor Josh Shapiro ordered United States and commonwealth flags on all commonwealth facilities, public buildings and grounds across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to fly at half-staff immediately in honor of McKeesport Officer-Patrolman Sean Sluganski. The flags will be lowered until sunset on the day the fallen officer is buried, which has not been announced yet.
“Today is a tragic day for the Commonwealth, for all of Allegheny County, and for the families of Officers Sluganski and Thomas, who said goodbye to them yesterday morning as they always do, not knowing what might happen," Acting Attorney General Michelle Henry said in a Tuesday press release. "I want to offer my sincere condolences to the loved ones of Officer Sluganski, who died a hero bravely responding to an emergency call for help. While the investigation into this incident is still in the very early stages and ongoing, early reporting underscores the challenges and volatility we ask police to confront. We stand together to honor the service and sacrifice of these Officers and their families in service to our Commonwealth.”
About a month ago, a police chief was killed and two officers wounded in an Allegheny County borough northeast of Pittsburgh. The suspect was later shot and killed in Pittsburgh after crashing a carjacked vehicle and exchanging gunfire with police, authorities said.
