Family of alleged abductor speaks after he is killed by state police

NANTICOKE, Pa. — A man held a teenage girl at knifepoint in a Pennsylvania high school, assaulted responding officers, fled with her in their vehicle and was finally found and killed by authorities who rescued the girl unharmed, police said.

State police in Luzerne County said "deadly force" was used Sunday against Jordan Oliver, 20, after he and the 15-year-old girl were found.

Officers responded Sunday afternoon to a report of Oliver holding the girl hostage "with a knife to her throat" at Nanticoke High School, near Wilkes-Barre. It's not unusual for people to be at or walking through the school even on Sunday since it is centrally located, according to police.

Officers tried to negotiate with Oliver and separated them, putting her into a police vehicle. But a struggle ensued, and Oliver sprayed Mace on the officers and fled in the marked Nanticoke City police vehicle with the girl still inside, police said.

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According to the affidavit, when Oliver drove off in the police vehicle, he drove toward a Nanticoke police officer, who fired a shot.

Sean Oliver, Jordan Oliver's father, told WNEP that shot hit his son in the leg. He said he spoke to his son several times while he was on the run, "just telling him things like we love him, he needs to do the right thing, what he did wasn't right, and he was just scared of the Nanticoke police department because of the problems he's had with them in the past."

Problems that, Sean Oliver said, were due to his son's romantic relationship with Samara Derwin, the daughter of a Nanticoke police officer.

Court records show Oliver had a history of protection from abuse orders, including one filed back in May by Derwin's mother on her behalf. That PFA accused Oliver of hitting the teenager.

State police then took over. An Amber Alert was issued for the girl and an arrest warrant was issued for Oliver on charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault, unlawful restraint and theft.

After Oliver and the girl were reported to be in the Warrior Run area, a special emergency response team located them and initiated contact with Oliver, who, according to police "was holding the female victim hostage." Police said deadly force was used, without providing details, and said the victim was freed unharmed.

Oliver's family has a lot of questions about Jordan's final moments. Sean Oliver told WNEP he wants to police to tell him, "What type of weapon did he have that gave you the right to use deadly force against my son? I wanted to know, because I do know there's other ways of non-lethal force that they certainly could have used."

Court records confirm the suspect had twice been the subject of restraining orders including one involving Sunday's victim, The (Wilkes-Barre) Citizens' Voice reported. Her mother said her daughter was assaulted and threatened by Oliver, who then continued to bother her by Facebook and showed up at her home.

AP/WNEP