Credit: Larry Love/Submitted
One man was killed after a Friday evening standoff with police in Bensalem Township ended in gunfire.
Just before 5 p.m., officers from the Bensalem Township Police conducted a stop for improper window tinting at the intersection of Route 1 and Old Lincoln Highway. The vehicle was occupied by two men, Bensalem Township Public Safety Director William McVey said during a press conference live streamed by Fox 29.
The two men allegedly refused to cooperate and stated they were armed and would not return to jail, McVey said.
The suspects fled the initial stop and went on I-95 and Woodhaven Road before ending up at the Liberty Gas Station on Route 13 near Penn Court.
Surrounded by law enforcement, the suspects rammed into pursuing patrol vehicles from both the Bensalem Township and the Pennsylvania State Police, authorities said.
McVey described the men as barricaded inside the vehicle and brought in a tactical team, including SWAT officers from Philadelphia.
Credit: Larry Love/Submitted
After negotiations stalled, officers deployed tear gas twice in an attempt to resolve the standoff, the public safety director said.
The 30-year-old man behind the wheel of the car that was surrounded by police brandished a handgun. Shots were fired, McVey said.
A law enforcement source said the shooting happened just before 7:30 p.m.
Video captured by Levittown resident Larry Love shows a barrage of gunfire erupting at the scene.
The 30-year-old driver was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, McVey told reporters.
No life-threatening injuries were reported for the passenger or any law enforcement personnel.
During the standoff, local residents were advised to shelter in place while police cordoned off the area and shared warnings on social media to avoid the area.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office took the lead on the investigation.
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