BEAVER COUNTY, Pa. — A Pennsylvania state trooper was justified in the deadly shooting of a man suspected of stealing an Ohio State Highway Patrol cruiser and leading police on a multistate pursuit, according to the Beaver County district attorney.
The incident started on April 4, when Deshawn Leeth reportedly assaulted an Ohio trooper, tried to steal his gun and fled in a marked cruiser that contained other firearms. Pennsylvania State Police were alerted as Leeth was heading towards the state line.
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“He already assaulted one trooper today, stole a vehicle, and could have a weapon because there were weapons inside the Ohio vehicle,” Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible said, citing the information troopers had at the time.
Troopers performed a PIT maneuver on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Beaver County, causing the stolen cruiser to flip and catch fire.
Despite Leeth’s actions, one trooper pulled him from the burning vehicle, with cover from a second trooper. Bible told Channel 11 that body camera footage shows Leeth swinging at one of the troopers and grabbing the officer’s rifle with enough force to dislodge the magazine.
“At that point, the trooper had to make a split-second decision,” Bible said. “You have to make a call — if this guy is going to take the gun off of me and use it on me, or am I going to use the appropriate amount of force?”
The trooper fired a single shot, striking Leeth. He later died from his injuries.
Bible reviewed the case and said the trooper’s actions were lawful. No criminal charges will be filed.
State Police have not commented on the trooper’s current duty status. Channel 11 has reached out for further information and has not heard back.
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