Westmoreland County’s District Attorney has announced that the fatal shooting of a Derry Township man by authorities last November was justified.
State police were called out on November 15th of last year for a reported domestic matter at a home in the 1000 block of James Street after a woman reported her husband was firing a gun in the basement. When police arrived, 28-year-old Ryan Huniker came out and asked police to shoot him as they told him to put his hands up. Officers did notice that he had a gun in his waistband. Police first used a taser after he refused to follow commands and go back in. As they approached him, he pulled the gun and fired at two of the responding officers. They returned fire and hit Huniker, ultimately killing him.
District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli said that the decision that the shooting was justified was based on a number of factors, including evidence from the scene, testimony from eyewitnesses and police reports. She felt that state police and police from Latrobe faced immediate threats of serious bodily injury or death during the incident.
