Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire was “ambushed” and shot dead while searching the borough’s Third Avenue for a fugitive late Monday afternoon, Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns said Tuesday.
The fugitive — Aaron Lamont Swan Jr., 28, of Duquesne — later used a gun that had been modified to fire automatically in an exchange with two Pittsburgh police officers, investigators said. Swan was killed in a wooded area of the city’s Homewood-Brushton neighborhood, putting an end to a dangerous two-day manhunt involving countless law enforcement officers.
Kearns on Tuesday confirmed a second suspect was traveling with Swan and that the two men were spotted Monday inside a Harrison convenience store. That man, whom Kearns did not identify, is being questioned by police. No charges have been filed, Kearns said.
The hunt for Swan started around 11:45 a.m. New Year’s Day, when a Pennsylvania state trooper spotted Swan’s car traveling south on Route 28 near Cheswick, Kearns said. Swan was being sought for a probation violation involving weapons.
After Swan fled a traffic stop and the trooper identified Swan as the driver, the trooper began chasing his car on Route 28 before abandoning the pursuit when it became dangerous.
Harrison police engaged with Swan on Monday morning. Police there were able to stop Swan’s vehicle, but he ran away. At 2 p.m., on the border of Brackenridge and Tarentum, officers again encountered Swan and a foot pursuit ensued.
Police from three municipalities — Tarentum, Fawn and Harrison — responded to the 200 block of Morgan Street that afternoon after police said Swan attempted to carjack a man’s vehicle. A struggle ensued, two shots were fired and the man wrestled the gun away from Swan, Kearns said.
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Police exchanged gunfire but Swan escaped, Kearns said. There were two separate shootings about 4:15 p.m., one in the 800 block of Third Avenue and a second on Brackenridge Avenue.
McIntire was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene at 4:36 p.m., according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office. A second officer, Tarentum’s Jordan Schrecengost, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg but was in stable condition, authorities said.
About 5 p.m., after police found McIntire, Swan again attempted another carjacking at gunpoint. This time, he was successful.
Swan entered a home in the 1100 block of Pacific Avenue in Brackenridge through an unlocked door. He ordered residents to turn over their car keys and cellphones, Kearns said.
He fled in a silver Subaru Legacy that had been parked in the driveway.
About two hours later, Swan encountered Pittsburgh police in the city’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood. Police said he drove away from them but crashed the stolen car along Columbiana Street after a short chase and ran into a nearby wooded area.
While officers were setting up a perimeter around the woods, Swan emerged and began shooting at officers as he ran into a housing development, Allegheny County Assistant Superintendent Victor Joseph told reporters Tuesday. Police said they believed Swan was using an automatic weapon.
“Officers returned fire, striking Swan multiple times,” Joseph said. “Swan was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Later, Joseph said, police found a Glock 9 mm handgun with an extended magazine at Swan’s feet that had “modifications” to make it fully automatic.
It was unclear how many times Swan was shot. Joseph declined to comment, saying only two Pittsburgh officers exchanged gunfire with Swan.
The District Attorney’s Office will investigate the officer-involved shooting of Swan, as they do all officer-involved shootings, Kearns said.
A Pittsburgh police officer was injured during the shootout, although it was unclear how it occurred. Initial reports said the officer suffered a minor injury from shrapnel. Cara Cruz, a Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman, said Tuesday that “the officer received an injury to his eye area that was not from gunfire/shrapnel.”
Investigators recovered five guns that were believed to have been used by Swan, Joseph said. Four were found in Brackenridge and the other one in Homewood-Brushton. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting with the investigation.
“At least one of (the guns) was reported stolen,” Joseph said.
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at [email protected].
