Aaron Lamont Swan Jr. was named by police in a news conference as the suspect accused of shooting Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire to death in Pennsylvania.
Swan was shot and killed by police, according to Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns, who spoke in a second daily news conference on January 2, 2023. Kearns did not name the slain officer in the news conferences, but he was named as McIntire by WTAE-TV. Pennsylvania Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro also confirmed McIntire had died in a tweet.
Kearns said in the second news conference that Swan was 28. Police also released a photograph of the suspect. A second officer was also injured, but was in stable condition, Kearns said in the later news conference. “The suspect is armed and very dangerous,” Kearns said in an initial news conference.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Officers Were Shot in Foot Pursuits & Two Shooting Incidents, Police Say
Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns said in a news conference that officers first encountered Swan and began a foot pursuit around 2 p.m. The chase lasted for several hours throughout the neighborhoods. WPXI-TV reported that the officers’ first encounter with Swan was in a traffic stop.
At 4:15 p.m., a Brackenridge officer observed the suspect, and there was another foot pursuit, Kearns said. There were two shooting incidents, he said.
Two officers were wounded, and one of the officers was struck in the head and died at the scene, according to Kearns. The second officer was struck in the leg and taken to the hospital, where he was in stable condition, Kearns said in the news conference.
The wounded officer was from Tarentum, WTAE-TV reported.
“Brackenridge Borough is one square mile, which stretches along the right bank of the Allegheny River, approximately twenty two miles north of Pittsburgh. The population is 3,543,” the Brackenridge Borough website says.
2. Swan Died in a Shootout With Police After Crashing a Car, Authorities Say
Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns said in a news conference run on the WTAE-TV website on January 2, 2023, that the events of the evening “unfolded very rapidly.”
Detectives were still working the scene, Kearns said in the news conference. “We no longer believe the suspect is at large,” Kearns said in the news conference.
According to Kearns, authorities put an alert out for a silver Subaru that was believed to be carjacked by the suspect in the shooting of the officers. Detectives saturated the area and located the carjacked vehicle in Pittsburgh, he said in the news conference. There was a car chase, according to Kearns, who added that the suspect crashed the car, and fled into the woods.
The officers formed a perimeter, Kearns said. He said that the suspect ran into a housing development area. The suspect fired at the officers, according to Kearns. Officers returned fire, and the suspect was struck and was confirmed dead at the scene, Kearns said in the news conference.
3. Swan Was Wanted on a Weapons-Related Violation, Police Said
Swan was wanted for a “probation violation for weapons,” Kearns said in the news conference.
In the January 2, 2023, shooting, the suspect had two different handguns, Kearns said. One was recovered in Brackenridge and one at the city scene, according to Kearns.
The suspect was same suspect who was sought in the shooting of the officers in Brackenridge, Kearns said in the news conference.
4. The Slain Police Chief Was Mourned in Tributes Online
Pennsylvania Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro tweeted, “Today’s tragedy in Brackenridge is a devastating reminder of the bravery of those who put their lives on the line every day to protect us. Police Chief Justin McIntire ran towards danger to keep Pennsylvanians safe — and he made the ultimate sacrifice in service to community.”
CBS News reported that McIntire had been Brackenridge police chief since 2018.
“I started breaking down myself,” said Ryan Barr, who knew McIntire, to CBS News. “It was tough to hear.”
Barr told CBS News that McIntire coached him in football and had a son.
“I’ve known his son since I was 5,” Barr said to CBS News. “We’ve been really good friends, family friends for years.”
5. Swan Was From Duquesne, Police Say
Prayers to Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire and his family. He made the ultimate sacrifice. #BackTheBlue
According to Kearns’ press conference, Swan was from Duquesne. He frequented the Penn Hills area, Kearns said.
The Brackenridge Borough police website lists McIntire and three other police employees.
“He’s been a great name in the community for a long time,” Barr said to CBS News. “He’s done a lot of great things and kept this place safe for so many years.”
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