At least one police officer and an armed robber opened fire ahead of a standoff at a Lehigh Valley pharmacy on Christmas Eve, investigators said.
Fountain Hill, Pennsylvania, residents turned to social media to report hearing gunshots coming from the area of the Fountain Hill Pharmacy along Broadway in the Lehigh County town on the night of Dec. 24, 2024, according to social media posts.
On Christmas Day, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan and Fountain Hill Police Chief Ed Bachert revealed details of what police said led to police and at least one robbery suspect opening fire the night before.
It started just after 9 p.m. when Fountain Hill police were alerted to a burglary alarm at the pharmacy, investigators said. As two police officers arrived, the alarm company alerted the Lehigh County 911 center of another alarm being set off inside the store.
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"At 9:37 p.m., a Fountain Hill police officer notified the 911 center that he saw armed two men inside the pharmacy," the DA's office wrote Wednesday. "One of the men pointed a firearm at a Fountain Hill officer who opened fire, but did not hit either defendant."
Police later identified the men inside as Allentown's Miguel Martinez, 56, and Bethlehem's David Vazquez, 33, the DA's office said. At some point, Vazquez opened fire, investigators said.
Luckily, no one was struck by any bullets, authorities said. "However, two gunshots fired by Vazquez from inside the pharmacy appear to have entered the nearby occupied home" on Broadway, authorities said.
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The incident turned into a standoff after the men refused to come out of the business, officials said. Nearby residents were told to stay inside.
"Both men eventually surrendered to law enforcement officers with no further shots being fired," officials said.
Martinez and Vazquez were each charged with burglary, theft, reckless endangerment and weapons charges and sent to county jail in lieu of $750,000 cash bail, the DA's office said.
Both men remained jailed on Christmas, unable to post bail. No attorney who could comment on either man's behalf was listed on online court records.
During an investigation police found that the men had spray painted surveillance cameras while stealing medications inside the pharmacy, officials said. Investigators found a 9mm handgun they believe was used during the break-in and evidence of five shots having been fired from inside.
The shooting/robbery investigation continued Wednesday, as did the investigation into the police officer use of force.
"This investigation remains ongoing as well as a separate investigation regarding the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer," the DA's office said. "Each time an officer uses potentially deadly force in the line of duty, a separate investigation is conducted to determine whether that use of deadly force was justified."
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