Police Shooting In Caln Is Justified: DA Rules
CALN, PA — Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan ruled Monday that police were justified to shoot a man in the leg because he had threatened to shoot them after crashing into a police vehicle in a stolen car on Feb. 22.
An investigation disclosed the officer believed that his life was in danger when he shot the man at Shelburne Road and Stockley Lane in Caln Township.
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Richard Luminello, 56, of Philadelphia, was shot in the leg and tasered. He is in Chester County Prison without bail awaiting a preliminary hearing on attempted murder and related charges. The hearing is scheduled for later this month.
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The district attorney said the investigation conducted by the county detectives disclosed that Luminello placed the officers in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury, which is required by Pennsylvania law for a police officer to use deadly force.
Caln Township police could not immediately be reached for comment.
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According to officials, at 1:22 a.m., police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle in the parking lot at Wawa in Downingtown.
When they arrived, the suspect got out of one stolen vehicle and into another vehicle at the Wawa before fleeing into a residential neighborhood, police said.
As an officer was preparing to place spiked strips on the road to disable the suspect’s car, the suspect crashed into the officer’s vehicle, hard enough to force the car back 40 yards and cover the officer in debris.
The officer avoided injury by jumping out of the way. Two officers shouted at Luminello to stop and get on the ground.
Police said the suspect then turned to the other officers and reached his hand behind his back while pointing at the officers, stating, “I’ll shoot” from about 10 feet away.
One officer shot Luminello in the leg, and another officer used a taser to subdue him, police said.
Luminello was treated in Paoli Hospital for a gunshot wound to the leg and a fractured shoulder.
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