Trooper's Shot To End High-Speed Chase Will Be Reviewed: D.A.

TREDYFFRIN TOWNSHIP, PA — A stolen U-Haul van fled state police at speeds of 100 miles per hour, and it took road spikes and a shot into the vehicle to halt the high-speed chase that ended in a heroin bust. There was a 10-year-old child in the van, authorities said.

Two Delaware men have been charged and a review by Chester County Detectives is underway of the officer-involved shooting.

The speeding van weaved in and out of traffic heading north on U.S. 202 then onto Rt. 252 and back onto southbound U.S. 202 on Dec. 23 shortly after 2 p.m., the Chester County District Attorney's Office reported.

As West Goshen Township police pursued the stolen U-Haul van, its driver fled through West Goshen Township north on U.S. 202. Authorities said the vehicle hit speeds of 100 miles per hour during the chase through afternoon traffic as police tried to stop the vehicle.

Police said the driver in a van with four passengers was weaving in and out of traffic for several miles. The vehicle nearly struck a police vehicle during the chase.

Police tried to disable the fleeing vehicle using spike strips, known as "Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT)." The PIT was set up at U.S. 202 and W. Pleasant Grove Road, just south of West Chester. Police reported it forced the U-Haul to drive off the road.

Multiple police vehicles swarmed the scene, but the driver still tried to drive away, the D.A. reported. It was then that a Pennsylvania state trooper shot one round from a .45 caliber handgun.

The shot struck above the rear tire on the driver's side and through the van's cargo area, the bullet exiting on the passenger side, the district attorney reported.

There were no injuries to any of the van's five occupants or anyone else at the scene, police reported on Wednesday. Inside the van were the driver, a 10-year-old child, a female passenger, and two adult males, police said.

Another trooper initiated a second road spike maneuver and finally was able to fully disable the fleeing vehicle.

Police said they found four plastic baggies they believe contained heroin inside the van.

Police identified the vehicle's driver as Antoine Freeman, 29, of Wilmington, Del.

Freeman was charged with aggravated assault, receiving stolen property, fleeing and eluding, recklessly endangering another person, and other related charges.

Another van passenger, Earl White, 66, also of Wilmington, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the district attorney's office.

The Chester County District Attorney's Office said according to its protocol, the Chester County Detectives will be the independent agency reviewing the officer-involved shooting.

Chester County Detectives will work with Pennsylvania State Police on the matter and the Chester County D.A. will fully review all available evidence and will make the final decision regarding whether the shooting was justified, the D.A.'s office said.

After the investigation, the District Attorney’s Office said it will provide written findings.

The response to this incident involved state troopers and four area police departments; West Goshen Township, Westtown East Goshen Township, Tredyffrin Township, and Birmingham Township police departments.