Man wanted in New Jersey killings fatally shot by police in Wyomissing [Update]

Mar. 31—Sirens, a crash, and gunfire shattered the peace and quiet of Bob and Jean Bingaman's tree-lined street Thursday night after local and state police tracked a man wanted in a double homicide in New Jersey to their secluded Berkshire Heights neighborhood in Wyomissing.

Many, if not all, of the shots the couple heard about 8:40 p.m. were fired by officers from the Wyomissing and West Reading police departments and Pennsylvania State Police, according to investigators.

The 53-year-old armed suspect was killed by the gunfire after the SUV he was driving became disabled in a backyard of a residence and he refused commands to drop a rifle, they said.

The end of a short vehicle pursuit and shooting of the suspect played out in the 900 block of Spring Street, less than 100 feet from the Bingamans' home at Ninth and Spring.

Reading from a statement to a room full of reporters at a Friday afternoon press conference, state police Capt. Robert Bailey, commander of Reading-based Troop L, said events began to unfold about 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

That's when troopers from Troop L, Lancaster-based Troop J and Troop T, which covers the Pennsylvania Turnpike, were alerted to a 53-year-old Philadelphia man who was a suspect in a double homicide and arson that occurred Monday in Gloucester City, N.J.

Bailey said law enforcement agencies also learned the same suspect earlier Thursday had shot two people on a porch in Philadelphia after getting out of his vehicle. The license plate of the black Lexus SUV was recorded by a security camera, he said.

According to Bailey:

Police learned the suspect's vehicle may be in Berks County. Shortly after 8:30 p.m. a local patrol officer spotted the suspect's SUV on State Hill Road near the Berkshire Mall. The officer called for assistance.

The suspect turned onto Spring Street where local patrol officers attempted a traffic stop. A short pursuit ensued with the suspect's vehicle entering the backyard of a home in the 900 block of Spring Street where it became disabled and was quickly surrounded by numerous officers.

"Multiple units, both PSP and local law enforcement, surrounded the vehicle and gave several verbal commands to him," Bailey said. "The suspect was observed to have a firearm, a rifle across his chest. He failed to obey their commands. PSP troopers along with West Reading and Wyomissing police officers discharged their firearms at the suspect."

The suspect, whose name was withheld Friday, was pronounced dead at the scene by a member of the Berks County coroner's office.

Bailey was joined at the press conference by Wyomissing Police Chief John Phillips, West Reading Police Chief Wayne Holben, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams, Chief County Detective Michael J. Gombar and Lt. Raymond O'Donnell Jr., Troop L criminal investigations section commander.

Officials spoke guardedly about the incident, stressing that the investigation is ongoing. They refused to divulge if the suspect fired his weapon.

Investigators have a lot of interviews and video to sift through, including police body cam footage, Adams said.

The district attorney said a thorough investigation is the goal. State police and county detectives will conduct the investigation, and more information will be released in the weeks to come, he said.

A total of nine law enforcement officers who were involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave pending further investigation, officials said.

'Acts of bravery'

While apologizing for providing limited information, Adams was effusive in offering two known facts about the investigation.

One was that no law enforcement officers were injured.

The other was that the suspect was an extremely violent person, he said.

"A very dangerous person was taken off the streets last evening," Adams said. "I'm not certain of his motive, but he was on a one-man violent crime spree, and we are very fortunate that no one else was injured.

"All of the responding officers displayed courageous acts of bravery in their attempt to apprehend this individual, and for that I am grateful."

Close to the action

Few were closer to the action than the Bingamans.

The events played out less than 100 feet from their home at Ninth and Spring streets, in the practically hidden neighborhood just blocks from AAA Reading-Berks and an R.M. Palmer Co. facility on Van Reed Road.

The couple were watching "Law & Order" about 8:30 p.m. when they saw the headlights of a couple of vehicles through their living room window and heard sirens.

"And all of the sudden we heard sirens getting louder and louder," Jean said. "So I got up and looked out the window and one of the first police cars stopped right out front."

A policeman got out and advanced toward a neighbor's home with both hands on his service weapon. At first, they assumed — incorrectly, as it turned out — the activity had something to do with the occupants of that home.

The suspect's vehicle had crashed into the trampoline in an apparent attempt to evade police who had him cornered on the dead-end portion of Ninth Street, which separates that home from the Bingamans'.

Moments later, after seeing the policeman round the corner of their front yard, they heard gunshots in rapid succession. Jean later told state police that she heard six. Bob said he heard eight shots.

"Knowing there were kids over there (who live in the house) it was so nerve-wracking," Jean said late Friday morning, more than 13 hours after the incident that filled their block with police vehicles and drew a crowd of onlookers.

Police had the suspect vehicle impounded. The tire tracks and damage to the trampoline and wood pile were visible Friday.

"Two hours before the car they were out there jumping on that trampoline, which really struck me," she said. "I still feel sick about that. Only two hours later that trampoline got hit by that car."

A neighbor's car was struck by a bullet, she said.

The Bingamans said the suspect must have fired as well as police based on the apparent direction of some of the bullets.

"There were a lot of bullets flying," Jean said.

The Bingamans said the relative quiet and solitude of the neighborhood despite its closeness to the Warren Street Bypass is why they bought their home six years ago as a retirement home. They previously resided in Bern Township.

It was anything but quiet and peaceful Thursday night, they said, describing their living room illuminated by the red-and-blue glow of emergency lights and onlookers leaning against their vehicle in the driveway for a better view.

"It was just a crazy night," Jean said. "Something you don't ever expect."