WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — Just one day after a massive police pursuit on Route 22 in Westmoreland County, new video has emerged from a passerby showing the intense aftermath.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >> Man shot, killed by police following high-speed chase along Route 22 in Westmoreland County
The man who took that video said, “Craziest thing I ever saw.”
Jim Naglich was riding back toward New Alexandria on Thursday afternoon on Route 22 when he found himself planted right in the middle of a massive police pursuit.
“Here comes this car flying by us, like man he’s going to get into a lot trouble. Wasn’t it after I say that, there were six cop cars behind him, I said he’s in a world of trouble,” Naglich said.
Naglich’s brother was behind the wheel.As they turned the corner, the trouble worsened.”We get around the bend, hear the gunshots he was on the ground when I went by. He wasn’t in the car, the windows were all shot out,” Naglich said.
Naglich said he heard 8-10 gunshots and captured the aftermath on camera.You can see in the video, the white BMW with windows shot out and troopers with their guns drawn, aiming toward the driver who had just led police on a 45-mile pursuit from just outside of Johnstown.
Krysten Pretlor was shot by troopers and died at the scene.”I figured it was not good because of the gunshots. I heard the gunshots. I think the cops did a good job, personally,” Naglich said.
Pretlor recorded himself on Snapchat in the midst of the 3-county pursuit.Sources confirmed to Channel 11 that the man in the video was Pretlor, hours after the shooting.
Police said Pretlor had a gun on him, from an earlier domestic incident near Johnstown.
Naglich said that while it was an incident he didn’t expect to see firsthand, it could have jeopardized a lot of lives if it had kept going down Route 22.”It would’ve been bad. It was right around 2:45 and schools were just about getting out. That’s what I told my brother, if they get into Murrysville, it’s going to be bad news,” Naglich explained.
Per policy, those troopers will be on administrative duties while the shooting is being investigated by the district attorney.She will determine if the lethal force was justified.
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