Wilmington – The New Castle County Police continue to investigate an officer involved shooting that occurred in the area of Philadelphia Pike and Washington Street Extension.
Through interviews and ballistic evidence recovered in the area of St. Helena’s Church, County Police detectives have determined that Keith Price not only pointed a handgun at the pursuing officer, but also fired one bullet at the officer, according to officials.
The actions of Price prompted the officer to return fire, subsequently striking and killing Price. The officer was not struck by gunfire during the incident.
Original Story
The New Castle County Police Professional Standards Unit and the Delaware Department of Justice Office of Civil rights and Public Trust continue to investigate this incident.
Wilmington – New Castle County Police (NCCPD) continue to investigate an officer involved shooting that occurred in the area of Philadelphia Pike and Washington Street Extension, according to NCCPD Spokesman JP Piser.
Piser said yesterday, April 19, just after 2:00p.m., detectives from the Special Investigations Squad (SIS) were assigned to locate and arrest Keith Price, 21, of Wilmington. Major Crimes Squad detectives identified Keith Price as the suspected shooter in the April 9th shooting on Lambson Lane and obtained first-degree attempted murder warrants for his arrest, according to Piser.
SIS Detectives located Keith Price, alone, driving a green Honda Civic in the City of Wilmington. Detectives called for County uniformed patrol officers in fully-marked patrol vehicles to assist with a vehicle stop of Keith Price. Police officers, utilizing fully-marked patrol vehicles, attempted to stop Keith Price in the area of 24th St and Market Street Officers exited their vehicles and gave Keith Price commands in an attempt to arrest him. Piser said Keith Price refused to comply with officers’ commands and instead drove his vehicle towards the officers, which resulted in an officer firing their departmentally issued handgun at Keith Price. Keith Price continued to ignore commands and crashed his vehicle into a fully-marked police vehicle before driving from the scene, according to Piser.
These are most likely the gunshots that Larry Mathis, the owner of LJ’s Playpen Academy, said he heard just before a County Police vehicle slammed into his building.
Piser said police initiated a vehicle pursuit which ended when Keith Price crashed his Civic into uninvolved motorists on Philadelphia Pike at Washington Street Extension.
Keith Price fled from his Civic on foot to the south side of St. Helena’s Church with an officer in foot pursuit. Piser said Keith Price ran and concealed himself in large bushes next to the church. As the officer pursued, Keith Price reappeared and pointed a handgun at the officer which resulted in the officer firing their departmentally issued handgun, striking Keith Price. Keith Price was provided emergency medical attention and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Piser. The handgun was recovered from Keith Price’s person at the scene.
Piser said the two officers involved, an 18-year member and a 3-year member of the Division of Police, were taken to an area hospital for treatment. Both officers were treated and released from the hospital last night. As per division policy, both officers were placed on paid administrative leave while investigations are conducted.
Separate investigations are currently being conducted by the New Castle County Police Criminal Investigation Unit, the New Castle County Police Professional Standards Unit and the Delaware Department of Justice Office of Civil Rights and Public Trust.
While en-route to assist, a County officer was involved in a two-vehicle crash at 26th St and Carter St. The officer who was involved in this crash was uninjured. The occupants of the other vehicle were taken to an area hospital where they were treated and released for non-life-threatening injuries.
County Police crashed into LJ’s Playpen Academy E 27th and Carter Street on the way to original incident.
The motorists who were involved in the crash at Philadelphia Pike and Washington Street Extension reported no injuries.
Additional Photos
Chief Bond at the first crime scene talking with officials
Detective canvassing the neighborhood at the original crime scene
