EASTON, Pa. (AP) - A district attorney in eastern Pennsylvania says his office, not state police, should investigate a fatal weekend shooting by troopers.
Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli is criticizing the decision by state police to keep the probe in-house. He tells The (Allentown) Morning Call (https://bit.ly/2qIxg3r ), “I think it is wrong,” and “We don’t do things like we did in the 1950s.”
Two troopers shot and killed a man in Lower Mount Bethel Township on Saturday morning after state police say he tried to light the fuse on a firework around his neck.
Guidelines issued by the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association say that police shootings should be investigated by an independent agency. State police have long handled their own use-of-force investigations.
State police did not immediately respond to Morganelli’s criticism.
The prosecutor will ultimately determine whether the shooting was justified.
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Information from: The Morning Call, https://www.mcall.com
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