A man who was shot dead by a police officer inside a Central Pennsylvania nursing home has been identified and details leading up to his death have been released by the York County Coroner's and District Attorney Dave Sunday's offices on Friday afternoon.
Zachariah Alexander White, 32 from out of the state but temporarily residing in York, was shot dead at Rest Haven Nursing Home at 1050 South George Street in Spring Garden Township at 12:48 p.m. on May 2, according to the York County Department of Emergency Services, PSP, the coroner, and the DA.
At a press conference, District Attorney Dave Sunday shared details about the events leading up to the shooting and said it was "necessary" and "justified."
The details include the following:
Spring Garden Township police were called to the nursing home after White left WellSpan York Hospital in a gown with a hospital bracelet on, running across the highway, and following visitors into the nursing home. He went into an office after "acting erratically", this is around the time the officer arrived and turned his body camera on.
When the officer spoke with White, he claimed the officer was an impersonator and insisted he phone dispatch to prove his identity as an officer. Suddenly, White ran into the hallway, into a patient area so the officer yelled "TASER" and deployed the gun but it failed. He did this a second time and succeeded but White refused to follow the officer's commands — instead gabbing the TASER (which was out of cartridges) and then attempted to punch the officer.
Somehow, White broke free and ran into a room with two bedbound patients. First, he tried to escape out a locked window, then he pulled the footrest off a wheelchair and swung at the officer's head.
That's when the officer "fired two shots striking him in the center mass," as Sunday explained at the end of the press conference. The whole incident happened within five and a half minutes, Sunday said.
PSP Troop J York was called to the scene of the shooting at approximately 1:12 p.m., as stated in a release by Trooper James Grothey. They continue to lead the investigation.
He "died at WellSpan York Hospital after a reported police-involved shooting at Rest Haven York," as Coroner Pam Gay explained in a separate release.
The York County Coroner's Office is also investigating and an autopsy was performed at 8 a.m. on Friday, May 3, 2024, at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, according to a release.
The autopsy and toxicology reports are expected to be released to the public within three weeks, according to Sunday.
His next of kin, his mom, lives in Connecticut and she has been notified of his passing. The precise location where she resides in Connecticut was not released.
White has a criminal record and is a convicted felon in Cambria County, PA. His convictions include driving under the influence and committing thefts multiple times between 2009 and 2016, court records show.
Additional details about White and his life were not immediately available.
As the investigation continues new details are anticipated so check back here for updates.
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