Philly Police identify officer, victim in fatal police shooting in Kingsessing
Ronald Singletary, 51, was shot by Officer Robert Schutte after he allegedly lunged toward Schutte and his partner with a knife.
A Philadelphia police officer fatally shot a 51-year-old man in a Kingsessing home Friday morning after he allegedly threatened the officer and his partner with a knife after being tased, police said.
Police on Monday identified the man as Ronald Singletary and said he was shot by Officer Robert Schutte, a two-year veteran assigned to Southwest Philadelphia's 12th District.
Schutte, who is on desk duty pending an Internal Affairs investigation into the incident, shot Singletary in the torso while responding to a 2:42 p.m. call about a man allegedly violating a protection-from-abuse order on the 1200 block of South 51st Street, police said.
A 28-year-old woman placed the call and met Schutte and his partner at the house. Police had persuaded Singletary to leave about a half-hour earlier, authorities said, but the woman told officers he apparently used a key to get back inside.
During the second encounter, police said, Singletary refused to leave a second-floor bedroom when Schutte and his partner arrived. Police did not identify Schutte's partner.
When the officers forced their way into the bedroom, police said, Singletary lunged toward one with a 10-inch knife, leading the other to use a Taser. Police did not say which officer used the Taser.
Singletary fell onto a bed when he was hit, police said, but got up with the knife and moved toward the officers again. At that point, police said, Schutte shot Singletary.
Singletary was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and pronounced dead at 3:23 a.m., according to police. No other injuries were reported. Police said the knife Singletary allegedly held was recovered at the house.
It was the third shooting by Philadelphia police this year, according to department statistics.