A man named Tyrese Knuckles was shot by police in Delaware after he allegedly stole a police cruiser following a domestic dispute call at an apartment complex in Wilmington. The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday when Knuckles ran from the complex and got into a physical confrontation with police, leading to an officer shooting him in the torso. Knuckles then took off in the police cruiser, causing a chase across Wilmington that resulted in several accidents involving police vehicles before he crashed the cruiser in Chester, Pennsylvania.
The chase involved officers from New Castle County and Wilmington, as well as state police from both Delaware and Pennsylvania. The chase caused a stretch of Interstate 95 near the final crash scene to be shut down for several hours, causing significant traffic disruptions in the area. Knuckles was injured in the crash and was being treated at a hospital in Pennsylvania for those injuries as well as the gunshot wounds he sustained during the incident. His injuries were not considered life-threatening and he was listed in stable condition on Friday.
A New Castle County officer was injured in one of the crashes during the chase in Delaware, while a state trooper was hurt in another. Both officers were taken to hospitals for treatment of their injuries. The officer who shot Knuckles is an eight-year veteran of the force and has been placed on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, which is standard procedure in police-involved shootings. Charges related to the chase are pending against Knuckles, who was also discovered to be wanted on several unrelated warrants issued by Philadelphia police, including one for stalking.
It is not known if Knuckles has retained an attorney at this time. The details of the investigation into the shooting and the events leading up to it are still being determined by authorities. The community in Delaware and Pennsylvania was shaken by the incident, which highlighted the dangers and risks that police officers face in the line of duty. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of following police instructions and cooperating with law enforcement to avoid dangerous and potentially life-threatening confrontations that can have serious consequences for all involved. The incident also underscores the need for thorough investigations into police-involved shootings to ensure transparency and accountability in these situations.
