Indiana County’s District Attorney has announced that a police-involved shooting on Route 119 that killed a suspect on July 3rd near Homer City was justified.
According to a news release from Indiana County District Attorney Robert Manzi, an un-named state trooper pulled over the pickup truck driven by John V. Dye along Old Route 119 in the late-night hours of July 2nd. While Dye initially complied, he drove off after police started to approach his truck on foot. Dye would lead police on a pursuit that lasted around 20 minutes through residential portions of Homer City, sometimes going as fast as 65 miles an hour and nearly rolling his truck once. Police did use a spike strip and blockades to stop him, but Dye continued.
The chase then went onto Route 119 South towards Blairsville when three cruisers tried to perform a rolling roadblock to stop him. Once stopped, the initial responding trooper got out of his car, and moved to the driver’s side window of Dye’s truck, while other troopers surrounded it. After being told to get out, Dye refused to comply, put the truck into reverse and pushed a police cruiser parked behind him two full car lengths, eventually trapping the initial responding trooper, who then pulled his gun and shot Dye.
State Police say that Dye was at a holiday event that day, and witnesses confirmed that Dye was in an intoxicated state before he left, with toxicology tests proving that his blood alcohol content was almost 2.5 times higher than the legal limit. A witness also said that Dye was warned about not driving while intoxicated, saying he could return to jail if caught as he was on parole for unrelated cases. Dye told them, quote, “they are going to have to shoot me because I am not going back to jail.”
Manzi concluded that the use of lethal force by state police was justified to protect the life of the troopers, and that there will be no further action taken.
To read Manzi’s full statement, click on the link below.
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