State troopers and Latrobe police responding to a domestic violence call on a quiet Derry Township street over the weekend exchanged gunfire with a resident, who was fatally shot, Trooper Steve Limani said Monday.
When police were called to James Street on Saturday evening, they were told someone in the home who was involved in the domestic incident had fired shots. Limani said Ryan Huinker, 28, was on the front porch when he and police exchanged gunfire.
“He was shot by police,” Limani said.
An autopsy was scheduled Monday. Troopers were reviewing body camera footage. Limani expected more information to be released Tuesday.
Neighbors on the dead-end street at the border of Derry Township and Latrobe said they heard five to seven gunshots after police got there. Investigators were at the scene until the early morning hours Sunday.
No one answered the door Monday morning. A white Dodge pickup sat in the driveway with “Huinker” listed on a North Dakota license plate. There was a trail of blood on the steps and in the front yard.
Huinker lived there with a woman for about six months to a year, neighbors said. Police had responded to their address in the past for domestic violence calls, Limani said.
A marriage license indicates Huinker married Brittany Fassett on Nov. 6 at a district court office, according to Westmoreland County records. She did not immediately respond to a message.
Huinker listed a North Dakota address on the marriage license and reported being born in Minnesota. He was divorced from a previous marriage in February 2024 in Minnesota, according to records. His family could not immediately be reached.
Limani said domestic-violence calls can be dangerous for police because they can be volatile situations.
“It’s the worst call for us to go to,” he said.
