Search ongoing for suspects who fired 'incredible' number of gunshots at state, Erie police
Erie's police chief said Monday that he was thankful that no one was injured or killed in a Saturday morning police pursuit along Chestnut Street in which two suspects are accused of firing multiple gunshots at two Pennsylvania State Police troopers and a city police officer.
Chief Dan Spizarny said after watching video clips of portions of the incident that the number of rounds fired by the suspects was "incredible."
"These suspects need to be taken off the street quickly," Spizarny said as state and city police continued their search for the suspects, who remained at large as of early Monday afternoon.
None of the officers were injured in the shootings, which ended when the two suspects ran off after crashing their SUV into a parked car in the area of West 16th and Chestnut streets.
Spizarny said at least one of the shots fired by the suspects also hit a house. An 11-year-old boy who lives in the 1600 block of Chestnut Street found a bullet in his bedroom following the incident, he said.
State police said Monday that they have identified the two suspects and were searching for them. Their names and the list of criminal charges they face were not released as of early Monday afternoon.
The incident began shortly before 1:30 a.m. Saturday, when two state police troopers who were working a roving DUI patrol spotted a speeding SUV and began following it, authorities reported.
As the SUV was heading north on Chestnut Street, it stopped in the 2300 block and one of the suspects got out of the SUV and began shooting at the state police vehicle, with bullets striking the police car, according to state and Erie police.
One of the troopers returned fire before the suspects in the SUV fled, said Capt. Kirk Reese, commander of state police Troop E in Lawrence Park Township.
An Erie police officer who was on patrol in the area saw the fleeing SUV go airborne as it traveled down the road, city police Deputy Chief Rick Lorah said Monday.
The officer activated his lights and siren and began pursuing the SUV north on Chestnut Street before the SUV crashed into a parked car near the intersection of West 16th and Chestnut streets, he said.
As the suspects jumped out of the SUV they noticed the Erie police vehicle and opened fire on it, Lorah said. One bullet struck the lower driver's side corner of the police car's windshield and the other struck the rear driver's side door.
The suspects then ran off heading west, Lorah said.
Authorities impounded the SUV. Investigators are reviewing surveillance video that captured portions of the pursuit and the shootings, according to police.
The trooper who returned fire after being shot at and the trooper's partner are both on administrative duty while the investigation commences into the shooting, Reese said Monday.
This is a developing story. Return to GoErie.com for updates.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie shootings: Pair sought after firing at police in city Saturday
