Police: Officers fatally shot Spring Grove man after he pointed a gun at them
Southwestern Regional Police officers fatally shot a Spring Grove man early Saturday morning after he pointed a revolver at them, according to state police.
Two officers responded to a residence on Campus Avenue in Spring Grove at 2 a.m. Saturday following a 911 call. The call had led authorities to believe a man at the residence was suicidal, said Trooper Tom Pinkerton, a state police spokesman.
The man, Terry Lee Alfone, 42, of Spring Grove, had told a relative that he wanted to commit suicide, Pinkerton said. The relative then contacted authorities.
Alfone "appeared to be in a depressed state," Pinkerton said.
Officers found two family members outside the Campus Avenue home and tried to contact Alfone by yelling, telephoning and knocking, but he did not answer. The officers then entered the home to check on the man's well-being and yelled their identities, according to a news release.
Upon entering a back bedroom, officers found Alfone in bed with covers pulled up to his neck, Pinkerton said. They contacted him verbally, at which point he threw back the covers, sat up and pointed a .44-caliber Magnum revolver at the two officers. Based on that response, the officers fired several shots at Alfone, striking him in the torso and head areas, Pinkerton said.
York County Deputy Coroner Steve Cosey pronounced Alfone dead at 3:30 a.m.
The officers had responded to the residence to help Alfone, but "unfortunately, he didn't allow police to help him," Pinkerton said. Officers later found that Alfone's gun had been loaded.
Because officers discharged their firearms, state police are investigating the shooting, said Southwestern Regional Police Chief Gregory Bean. Per standard procedure, the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave until the investigation is complete and a determination is forwarded to the district attorney's office.
"The officers are given a break to wait for that determination and certainly to get their thoughts together again after being involved in a really traumatic incident," Bean said.
"It's a tragic event, and our heart goes out to those that have been negatively touched by the incident," he said.
An autopsy has been tentatively set for 10 a.m. Feb. 21 at Lehigh Valley Hospital.
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