Man shot to death after altercation in Lancaster Twp.
Police continue to investigate killing of 42-year-old man, who allegedly had assaulted 55-year-old man who shot him.
By John M. Hoober Iii
Published Oct 29, 2005 12:58
One of the bullets struck the alleged assailant, a 42-year-old man, in the left side of the abdomen, and the wound was fatal.
Paramedics transported the shooting victim to Lancaster General Hospital, where he died shortly after arriving, Capt. of Detectives John Flemming said.
The 55-year-old man also was taken to General Hospital for treatment of head and facial injuries from the beating. He was treated and released and then interviewed by police. No charges were filed, and the man was released by police pending further investigation and consultation with the Lancaster County coroner and district attorney.
“At this point, we believe that this person does not pose a danger to the community,’’ Flemming said.
Police this morning were withholding the identities of both men as they continued to notify relatives and learn more about what happened at 610 Sterling Place, which is where the alleged beating and shooting occurred shortly before 8 p.m. Friday.
A woman who called 911 reportedly told emergency dispatchers that her husband was the shooter and that he had fled to another Sterling Place unit.
Police did not mention the woman or relationship between the two men in a press release describing the shooting, but investigators did say that the shooter and victim were not total strangers.
“The males were known to each other, but were not actually acquainted,” Flemming said. “This was not a random act of violence, but resulted from the dispute and altercation between these two men.”
Both the beating and shooting happened inside 610 Sterling Place, which is two-story townhouse dwelling in the Sterling Place apartment-townhouse complex off Bean Hill Road.
Police interviewed abut a half dozen witnesses who were “in and out of the townhouse’’ around the time of the incidents. From what they gathered, a dispute erupted inside the unit between the two men, and the 42-year-old man started beating the 55-year-old man with “some type of object,’’ Flemming said.
The 55-year-old was struck around the face and head, and the blows caused cuts and other injuries. After being struck, the beating victim pulled out a pistol — for which he had a permit — and fired two shots, Flemming said.
One of the shots struck the 42-year-old man in the left side of the abdomen. He ran from the house and collapsed outside, police said.
The facts leading to the dispute and shooting “are not yet clear,’’ Flemming said in the press release. Investigators are still trying to determine at what point the shooting occurred. Specifically, whether the shooter was still being threatened by the other man, and whether the assailant was coming at him with the object when he pulled out the gun and fired.
Detective Chris DePatto is heading the investigation. Early today, DePatto obtained a search warrant for the premises at 610 Sterling Place, which is in the middle of a row of eight connected townhouses.
Police cordoned off the unit with yellow tape as officers searched the area, took notes and videotaped the inside of the dwelling this morning.
