Pennsylvania

Hours-long standoff in Bensalem ends with man dead, another suspect in custody

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One person is dead, and another is in custody after a traffic stop ended with police officers opening fire in Bensalem. NBC10’s Shaira Arias has the details. 

A stand-off in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, that lasted for hours ended with a man dead and another in custody.

Skyforce10 was over the scene just before 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, as officers surrounded a vehicle with two suspects inside.

The vehicle involved in this situation allegedly did not comply with officers who were trying to conduct a traffic stop for a window tint violation near the intersection of Route 1 and Old Lincoln Highway earlier that day around 3:50 p.m., police said.

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Two men inside the vehicle told officers they had weapons and wouldn't be going back to prison. Officers tried to de-escalate the situation, but after 45 minutes, police said they took off, leading to a chase that resulted in several crashes with police.

The chase ended outside a gas station on Bristol Pike, where a SWAT team negotiated with the suspects for about two hours.

"After approximately two hours of negotiations trying to get these individuals to surrender. Gas was deployed two times, at which point the driver of the vehicle produced a handgun and was fired upon by our SWAT team," William McVey, Director of Public Safety of Bensalem Township, said.

Police said that eventually the 35-year-old driver pulled a gun, and that's when the SWAT team shot him. The passenger in the car was not hurt and was taken into custody.

No civilians or officers were injured during this incident. Police said the investigation is still very active.

The Bensalem Township Police Department has placed the officers involved in this shooting on
administrative leave.

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