LANCASTER, Pa. — Update, August 16: Horry County (South Carolina) Police took Corry Brooks, 32, into custody on Sunday. He was taken to a holding facility to await extradition back to Pennsylvania.
Previously
The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday that its review of a police-involved shooting incident in Lancaster Township on June 25 concluded that the Manheim Township Police officer was justified in firing at a suspect who allegedly tried to run the officer over in his vehicle and rammed a police cruiser as he escaped.
The suspect, later identified as Corry Brooks, 32, of Lancaster, remains at large, according to police.
Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams said the officer's use of deadly force was justified, based on the officer's belief that he had to defend himself and others from serious bodily injury. The officer was nearly struck by Brooks' vehicle on two separate occasions during the incident, investigators said.
The officer fired at Brooks, who fled the scene at a high rate of speed before crashing his vehicle about a half-mile away. He then fled on foot and escaped, Adams said.
At the time of the encounter, which occurred on June 25 at 8:32 p.m. on the 300 block of Waterford Court in Lancaster Township, Brooks had existing warrants for Felony Strangulation and Flight to Avoid Apprehension from separate incidents.
He is now charged with Aggravated Assault, Flight to Avoid Apprehension, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, Institutional Vandalism and Accidents Involving Damage to Property.
After the incident, detectives with the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office responded to the scene to investigate the incident.
Their review of the evidence determined:
- A person called to report Brooks was using their vehicle without authorization. The victim identified Brooks as the person who had potentially taken the car.
- Two officers responded to the area. Both officers were familiar with Brooks from prior incidents and were aware of the existing warrants.
- One officer noticed a vehicle matching the description parked at the far end of a parking lot in another section of the apartment complex with its brake lights illuminated.
- The officers pulled into the parking lot both parking behind the suspect vehicle essentially blocking the vehicle in.
- Officer 1 approached the vehicle from the right front and immediately recognized Brooks as the driver and began ordering Brooks to show his hands.
- At that time, Officer 2 ran to the driver’s side window and reached for Brooks’ wrist while ordering Brooks to get out of the vehicle multiple times.
- Brooks ignored both officers’ commands and immediately put the car into reverse and accelerated, initially taking Officer 2 backwards, until the officer let go of Brooks’ wrist.
- Brooks then hit Officer 2’s patrol vehicle, causing damage and shifting the vehicle by a few feet. Brooks then put the vehicle in drive and turned the car to the left directly towards Officer 2.
- Officer 2 stepped backwards to avoid being hit by the vehicle.
- The vehicle then travelled into a metal fence.
- Brooks then again placed the vehicle in reverse and again accelerated quickly causing the vehicle to slam into a tree. Officer 2 was in close proximity to the tree.
- Brooks placed the car in drive and began moving forward, at which time Officer 2 fired eight shots at Brooks’ vehicle’s front door.
- It is believed that Brooks was not injured as the investigation revealed that all eight rounds struck the car but none of the eight rounds penetrated the inside of the vehicle.
- Neither officer was injured.
- Footage from a dashboard camera in the police cruiser captured the incident and corroborated the officers’ versions of the events.
“The suspect disregarded multiple lawful commands from the officers, choosing instead to place the officers in apparent danger of death or serious bodily injury," Adams said in a statement. "The officer’s belief that his actions were necessary to protect himself and others from serious physical injury was reasonable given that the driver nearly struck him multiple times and fled the scene in the vehicle."
Anyone with information Brooks' whereabouts is asked to contact the Manheim Township Police Department at 717-569-6401.
