Officials have identified a man who was killed in a police-involved shooting in Chester over the weekend.
Keith Montgomery, Jr., 24, was struck multiple times during a shootout with police Saturday, according to investigators. Montgomery died from his injuries. The Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.
The shootout began as a traffic stop when Chester Police responded to a report of a possibly stolen vehicle at Union and Parker streets just after 4 p.m. Saturday, officials said. When officers arrived, at least one person inside the vehicle opened fire, according to authorities.
"When the officers tried to stop it they didn't cooperate and there ended up being shots fired from the car and then back at the car," said Chester Police Chief James Nolan.
Officials say Montgomery was one of the men inside the vehicle though they have not yet revealed if he was the one who shot at the officers. The second person in the car, a 19-year-old man, was wounded in the shootout but survived. One of the responding officers, Captain Alan Davis, was also shot in the chest and arm.
Captain Davis and the 19-year-old man were both taken to the Crozer-Chester Medical Center. Davis, a 26-year veteran of the police force, is currently in stable condition. Family members of the 19-year-old man who were outside the hospital told NBC10 he is stable as well. They also claimed the man is innocent and that police "got the wrong car."
A large crowd of community members gathered at the scene of the shooting Saturday evening. A confrontation and fight occurred between police officers and some members of the crowd leading to pepper spray being used. Police told NBC10 the scuffle began when the crowd pushed up against the barrier as officials removed Montgomery's body from the scene. Police said they detained two people during the scuffle but were able to eventually control the crowd.
WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
Residents told NBC10 they were concerned about transparency during the investigation in light of another deadly police-involved shooting in February.
"The question is back to the police," said Pastor Calvin Williams. "Who was at fault? Are ya'll gonna tell the truth? All we want is the truth. We the people of the city of Chester, we want the truth this time."
During a news conference Sunday morning, Chester Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland praised the hospital that saved Capt. Davis' life, offered prayers to the man injured in the shooting and asked that the community show restraint as authorities investigate the incident.
"If we go through the process, then the truth will be revealed," Kirkland said. "So we're asking the Chester community once again to practice restraint, practice patience and understand that once this is done ... the truth will come out."
