Jan. 4, 2023 Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire had been pursuing a suspect who had led authorities on a series of chases when the chief was fatally shot as he ran between houses.
By Megan Guza Source Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire was by himself Monday afternoon when he spotted a man suspected to be the one who’d led police on a series of pursuits over the previous days, and he radioed his position to other officers on their way to the scene, authorities said Tuesday.
The suspect, Aaron Swan, darted between houses in the 800 block of Third Avenue, he said. He had a black bag, and there might be a gun inside. Officials said that transmission by Chief McIntire came around 4:13 p.m.
At the same time, officers from nearby Tarentum, Harrison and Fawn were descending on the area. A neighbor flagged them down and said they’d heard four gunshots nearby.
Officers found Chief McIntire shot to death between houses on Third Avenue, the same place he’d announced 15 minutes earlier that he was starting a foot pursuit.
“Based on the scene, it appears Chief McIntire was ambushed as he traveled between houses toward the backyard,” Allegheny County Police Superintendent Chris Kearns said as he offered new details of the small-town chief’s killing.
Investigators said they’ve recovered at least five guns Swan had over the course of Monday’s search for him. At least one of them had been reported stolen.
The search for Swan began late Sunday morning when a Pennsylvania State Trooper spotted a black Honda speeding south on Route 28 near Cheswick. The trooper ultimately cut short the chase in the interest of public safety and later identified Swan as the driver.
The next day, a Harrison officer spotted the Honda at a Freeport Road convenience store and gave chase. Swan ditched the Honda and escaped on foot. Later, he and another man were spotted near where the Honda was recovered in Brackenridge.
For an hour, Chief McIntire and other officers searched the neighborhood until the chief spotted Swan shortly before 4:15 p.m.
As one resident was flagging down police to report gunshots, Swan allegedly tried to carjack a man’s work truck from his Morgan Street driveway, Superintendent Kearns said. The man and Swan fought over the gun, and two shots went off. The man won the struggle for the gun, but Superintendent Kearns said Swan immediately produced another one.
Swan shot at the officers who’d descended on the area, hitting a Tarentum officer in the leg. They returned fire, but Swan escaped. Hours later, he carjacked a silver Subaru on Pacific Avenue.
Police flooded the areas where Swan was known to hang out, including Pittsburgh’s eastern neighborhoods. Around 6:20 p.m., Pittsburgh police spotted the Subaru, and Swan again took off. He crashed near Columbia Street, said Assistant Superintendent Vic Joseph, and ran into some woods not far from Mohler Street and Heart Court.
As officers surrounded the area, he said, Swan ran from the woods, shooting at police as he did. Two Pittsburgh detectives shot back, ultimately killing Swan. Mr. Joseph said Swan was shot multiple times but did not give an exact number.
At that scene, police found a Glock 9mm handgun with an extended magazine, and Mr. Joseph said the handgun was modified to be fully automatic. He said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating the firearms to see where they came from and if they were stolen.