A Pottstown police officer was wounded Sunday evening after a routine traffic incident escalated into an armed confrontation. The incident began around 5 p.m. when officers responded to a two vehicle collision at the intersection of Beech Street and North Mount Vernon Street.
According to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, the situation turned violent when one driver attempted to retrieve a firearm from his vehicle. A physical altercation ensued between the suspect and responding officers before the man fled on foot toward his Winding Road residence.
During the pursuit, authorities say the suspect turned and fired at officers, striking one policeman in the shoulder. The wounded officer was transported to a local hospital and is reported in stable condition with non life threatening injuries. Other officers returned fire but did not hit the suspect, who barricaded himself inside a nearby home.
The incident marks the second violent police encounter in Pennsylvania this week, coming days after the fatal Amtrak collision that killed a father and his two sons. Local residents reported hearing multiple gunshots during the standoff, which lasted several hours before the suspect was taken into custody.
Pottstown Police Chief Michael Markovich stated the department will conduct a full review of the incident, while the Montgomery County Detective Bureau has taken over the investigation. The wounded officer, a 12-year veteran of the force, is expected to make a full recovery.
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