Death of robbery suspect in Greenville ‘justified’

Staff report

Mercer, Pa.

The Mercer County district attorney has ruled that police were justified in shooting to death a robbery suspect in Greenville, Pa., last month.

Jeffrey Anderson, 30, was shot during an attempted arrest by police from area municipalities who make up a team called the Mercer County Critical Incident Response Team.

District Attorney Robert Kochems said he will not identify which officer shot Anderson. Anderson was trying to back up in his car, and officers feared for their safety, he said.

CIRT went to Anderson’s College Avenue apartment building at 6:30 p.m. July 26 to serve an arrest warrant and to execute search warrants for his car and apartment.

He was a suspect in an armed robbery at the Circle K in West Middlesex, Pa., on July 23.

Kochems said Anderson was identified July 25 holding a shotgun in surveillance video from the store.

Kochems said he reviewed a Pennsylvania State Police investigation into the shooting. The report said CIRT members properly identified themselves.

When the car started into reverse, they fired two beanbag rounds, then two bullets and another beanbag.

A bullet hit Anderson near the base of his skull and killed him, Kochems said. Kochems did not offer an explanation as to why the car had been in reverse, then was in forward gear after Anderson was shot, saying there was only conjecture as to the reason. The car traveled forward over an embankment in front of the parking area at the apartments.

Anderson was on probation in a 2006 conviction of felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, carrying firearms without a license and simple assault.

He had pointed a stolen handgun at a Sharon police officer, then had run into Buhl Park and shot himself in the chest in 2005, Kochems said. He claimed the officer shot him, then admitted attempting suicide by police and shooting himself, Kochems said.