A teenager was shot and killed by state police after he allegedly struck two troopers with his car on I-95 in Philadelphia over the weekend. Officials revealed more details on the incident as well as several other incidents throughout the city involving car meets. NBC10’s Rosemary Connors has the details.
Investigators said 18-year-old Anthony Allegrini Jr. of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, attended an unruly car meet early Sunday morning in which part of I-95 southbound was blocked off as a large crowd watched drivers drag race and do "burnouts" and "donuts" in the middle of the highway.
During a press conference held Monday afternoon, law enforcement officials said that Allegrini's death capped off an evening of at least three similar gatherings throughout the city that kept officers busy early Sunday.
Yet even as hundreds participated or spectated in these types of gatherings -- including one where bystanders damaged a police vehicle -- officers only made one arrest the entire weekend, according to investigators.
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"People have gotten the sense that Philadelphia is this place that 'I can come and do whatever I want,'" Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said. "That's unacceptable."
Events that led to the death of Anthony Allegrini
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While talking about the events that led to Allegrini's death, Pennsylvania State Police Captain Gerard McShea said that only two state troopers were on I-95 early Sunday morning to break up a scene where hundreds had gathered for a car meet.
"It was a chaotic scene," said McShea.
McShea said two state troopers arrived to break up a gathering on I-95 southbound at mile marker 21 near Penn’s Landing around 3:20 a.m.
There were also reports of shots fired in this location, he said.
As these officers attempted to break up the gathering, McShea said they observed a black Audi with its license plates obscured.
McShea said four people entered the Audi and Allegrini was behind the wheel. The two troopers then drove their vehicle in front of Allegrini's car and got out on foot, according to investigators.
Allegrini allegedly failed to follow the troopers' instructions to yield and continued driving. He then struck the two troopers with his car, investigators said.
"One trooper then discharged his service pistol through the front windshield and struck Allegrini who was seated in the driver's seat," said McShea.
Allegrini was pronounced dead at the scene. The two troopers suffered minor injuries to their legs during the incident, according to McShea.
In an interview with NBC10, Allegrini's girlfriend Reagan Hocking disputed law enforcement officials' reports on the incident, claiming Allegrini was shot when he was outside of a vehicle rather than inside as investigators said. She referenced a social media video that appears to show a man bloody and moving on the ground while a state trooper stands with his gun pointed. NBC10 has not verified the authenticity of that video.
"To the police in general, I just want to say that you need to own up to the rights and you need to give us the honest truth," Hocking said. "Stop protecting yourself. You just killed an innocent life. And you should be held accountable for that."
State Police did not respond to Hocking's comments but investigators are standing by their statement that Allegrini was inside the car when he was shot.
“So as far as protocol, I mean there is times when people are removed from the vehicle for treatment purposes. I can’t get into this specific incident," Captain McShea said.
Both Pennsylvania State Police and the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office are investigating the incident.
Both troopers involved in the incident are currently on administrative leave and will be allowed to perform limited duties pending the outcome of the investigation.
District Attorney's office vows to 'get the truth'
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, whose office is handling the investigation into this shooting, took a moment to note that his office plans to act independently in its investigation.
"The truth matters," said Krasner. "We don't know all the details yet."
Krasner said that his office is still reviewing footage taken from that evening.
Pennsylvania state troopers are currently not equipped with body cameras. Officials will take a look at dashcam video from police cruisers and cellphone footage during the investigation.
Krasner called for anyone who may have information from that evening, or footage of the events that led to Allegrini's death, to share them with his office.
“We will do whatever we can to get the truth that any legal consequence, if there is, any legal consequence in civil court or in criminal court will flow from what the truth is,” he said.
Family wants full transparency
Early Monday evening, Allegrini's father, mother and sister appeared at a press conference with their family attorney Enrique Latoison. Speaking on their behalf, Latoison said the family wants full transparency and all available video of the incident released.
"We know that the District Attorney's Office has already said that they're looking for the truth. You can believe this family is looking for the truth," Latoison said.
Latoison said Allegrini graduated from high school last year, worked three jobs and was never in trouble with the law.
"This was not somebody that was involved with doing donuts in the middle of Philadelphia," Latoison said. "He was not involved with blocking 95. He was a spectator in this event."
Allegrini's family claimed no one gave the teen immediate aid after he had been shot.
"We want to know what the policy is when you have a person who's been shot and he's sitting on the side of the road dying," Latoison said.
A chaotic evening
Before Allegrini's death, police responded to similar car meet events throughout the city, according to investigators.
- At about 1 a.m, on Sunday, officers found "hundreds" of people gathered near the intersection of Bustleton and Philmont avenues. During that incident some bystanders allegedly threw bricks at responding officers, though no officers were injured.
- At about the same time, officers responded to the 500 block of Byberry Road where a Dodge Charger that was allegedly involved in a drag race, backed into a police cruiser before it fled into Montgomery County, investigators said.
- Then, about an hour later, near the intersection of Broad and York streets, officers encountered another crowd gathered for a car meetup, according to investigators. During that incident spectators threw "flower pots and other debris" at the vehicles of responding officers -- causing one police vehicle's windshield to be shattered, according to police.
- Around 3 a.m. police made their only arrest of the evening. Officers responded to the 2400 block of Broad Street where a man, believed to be intoxicated, assaulted an officer when he attempted to flee in his vehicle after police received calls about a car gathering in the area, police said. The officer was injured in this incident, according to Outlaw.
"If anyone was participating in this activity, do not think, for a moment, that you got away with it. We are not done," Outlaw said.
Outlaw said officials are still reviewing video footage and "mountains and mountains of evidence" from the evening and police still plan to make arrests in these incidents.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
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