A man in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, has been charged with attempted homicide and assault of a law enforcement officer after firing multiple shots into a police cruiser during a pursuit. The officer was injured but will recover. The suspect is in custody. WTAJ – www.wtaj.com reported
A man named Bruce Alvarado, aged 38 and from Clairton, has been charged with multiple offenses, including attempted homicide, assault of a law enforcement officer, and attempting to elude an officer. These charges stem from an incident in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where Alvarado allegedly fired several shots into a police cruiser, injuring one officer.
The incident occurred on November 10 in the Turtle Creek area when police departments from Allegheny County initiated a pursuit of a suspected stolen vehicle with two occupants. Alvarado was identified as the driver of the vehicle. The pursuit escalated, reaching speeds of up to 90 miles per hour, before it was eventually stopped near Hyde Park Road, with police boxing in the vehicle.
When the officers approached the vehicle and instructed the driver to exit, Alvarado reportedly refused to comply. The officers were forced to open the door and reportedly saw Alvarado holding a gun. A female passenger was also present in the vehicle. Before Alvarado could be removed from the vehicle, he allegedly fired multiple shots from a 9mm handgun into a marked Monroeville police cruiser parked beside his car.
The shots struck a uniformed Monroeville police officer in the arm and leg. The injured officer was promptly taken to a hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment and is expected to recover, according to District Attorney Ziccarelli, who expressed gratitude for the cooperative response from police departments in Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.
Alvarado was apprehended without further incident or harm to law enforcement officers. During an interview, the female passenger informed investigators that Alvarado had made threatening statements during the pursuit, including his intention to not stop and to harm a police officer.
Alvarado appeared in court for his arraignment on Saturday morning and is currently being held in Westmoreland County Prison after being denied bail..