New Kensington police charge Rankin man with attempted murder in shootout near city hall
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New Kensington police charged a Rankin man with attempted murder after an exchange of gunfire within earshot of City Hall on Monday afternoon.
According to a criminal complaint, Deontae Delshaw Boyd Jr., 21, and another person returned fire after being shot at from a vehicle in the 1100 block of Fifth Avenue.
Police at the scene Monday said no one was hurt in the shootout.
Officers at the police department, located nearby in City Hall on 11th Street, heard shots about 4:45 p.m., the complaint states. Police learned a black Dodge Charger was involved and fled the area.
An officer saw the car in the 900 block of Fifth Avenue. After stopping the car, a man identified as Boyd got out of the back seat and fled, the complaint states.
A narcotics agent gave chase, giving commands for Boyd to stop. Boyd paused near a vehicle, where the agent saw Boyd discard a firearm under a vehicle, the complaint said. Police said a .22-caliber Uzi replica was recovered.
The complaint did not give further details about Boyd’s arrest.
Police said they reviewed video surveillance of the area, but the source of the video was not disclosed.
According to the complaint, the video shows a black Chevrolet Trax slow down in the 1100 block of Fifth Avenue. Boyd is seen in a parking lot, standing next to the Dodge Charger, the complaint said.
Bystanders are seen ducking as though they were being shot at and another unknown person standing in the parking lot returning fire, according to the complaint.
The complaint says Boyd is seen drawing a firearm and running toward the Trax through a courtyard, pointing the firearm in the direction of the vehicle. Police said they recovered about 10 .22-caliber casings from the area where Boyd was standing.
Boyd is then seen getting into the Dodge Charger that fled the scene, police said.
No information on those inside the Trax or the other person who returned fire was given in the complaint against Boyd. Police did not respond to requests for comment.
The incident prompted Westmoreland County Community College to lock down its New Kensington Education Center at 1150 Fifth Ave.
Boyd did not have an attorney listed in court records.
In addition to attempted murder, police charged Boyd with aggravated assault, carrying a firearm without a license, recklessly endangering another person and resisting arrest.
He was denied bail when arraigned before District Judge Frank Pallone Jr. on Tuesday and was being held in the Westmoreland County jail.
His preliminary hearing before Pallone is scheduled for June 2.