DA: Police Justified In Shooting, Killing Abduction Suspect

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) — A prosecutor says police were justified in shooting to death a suspect in the abduction of a teenage girl in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said in a statement Friday afternoon that 20-year-old Jordan Oliver "continuously indicated he had a firearm" and threatened to shoot the 15-year-old victim before he was shot Dec. 1 by members of a state police special emergency response team.

The statement said no firearm was found on Oliver, but he had positioned his concealed hand against the neck of the victim, who appeared to be in immediate danger.

State police say local officers had responded earlier to Nanticoke High School on a report that Oliver had a knife to the victim's throat. After a struggle, Oliver sprayed Mace on the officers and fled in their vehicle with the girl inside, and he and the girl were later found in the Warrior Run area.

Oliver's family has questioned whether deadly force was necessary.

(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.