On a fateful morning in Reading, PA, a confrontation between police officers and a suicidal man brandishing a large knife ended in the latter’s death, triggering a meticulous investigation led by the Berks County District Attorney’s Office. The incident, occurring before dawn on the 400 block of Windsor Street, saw officers responding to a distressing call about a man with a knife threatening to end his own life.
Upon their arrival, officers encountered 50-year-old Damon Stern at the front door of a residence. Stern, clutching a large knife, reportedly ignored the officers’ repeated commands to disarm himself.
The tension reached a harrowing climax when Stern, instead of complying with the officers’ demands, quickly approached them, closing the distance between himself and the authorities to a perilously near range.
During the encounter, police officers resorted to “lethal force” against the man, as per police reports. Following the altercation, law enforcement authorities stated that the man was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to injuries sustained during the encounter with the police.
On Monday afternoon, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office issued a revised statement regarding the incident, indicating that Stern “quickly advanced” two officers who had responded to the scene and “came within feet” of the law enforcement personnel before being shot and fatally wounded.
In a statement released on Monday morning, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office confirmed that an ongoing investigation into the incident was underway.
Relevant articles:
– Reading PA Officers fatally shoot suicidal man armed with knife
– Reading police shoot, kill man armed with knife, WGAL Susquehanna Valley Pa., Mon, 25 Mar 2024 21:14:00 GMT
– RPD: Officers fatally shoot suicidal man armed with knife, 69News WFMZ-TV, Mon, 25 Mar 2024 14:08:00 GMT
– Police in Berks Co. shoot, kill man armed with knife, officials say, NBC Philadelphia, Mon, 25 Mar 2024 19:19:28 GMT