Credit: James Short.
It was determined that an Abington police officer used a “lawful use of force” in the officer-involved shooting that took place at the Rosemore Garden Apartments in Abington Township on March 6.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele made the announcement on April 14.
Access Media covered the original shooting incident.
Montgomery County detectives interviewed witnesses, police officers, reviewed body cam footage, recordings of the police radio transmissions, the 911 call; and collected and tested on-scene evidence as part of the investigation.
“Our role, under the law, is to evaluate the totality of the circumstances of a fatal shooting by police and make a determination whether the use of force was justified. In this case, the totality of the circumstances includes the fact that officers knew the juvenile said in her 911 call that she didn’t know whether her mother had been injured by the gunshots of her boyfriend. Police knew as they arrived on scene that the woman screamed, then they heard another gunshot from inside the apartment,” said DA Steele. “Police knew that when they forced entry into the apartment, they saw a male step into the hallway holding an object. The time from the male’s last gunshot until the officers discharged their weapon was 17 seconds. Our investigation determined the facts of this case supported the use of deadly force to prevent serious bodily injury to themselves and/or the female victim. Therefore, criminal charges against the officers involved are not warranted.”
According to police, on March 6 at 11:07 a.m., the 911 caller, a female juvenile, stated her mother’s boyfriend, Wyleek Tinsley, who lived at the apartment, “just shot a gun at her. I don’t know if she’s hurt or not,” and told the dispatcher that a door in the apartment had been broken down. The juvenile stated she was fearful of being shot.
According to police, at 11:16 a.m., Abington Police officers arrived on scene and entered the apartment building’s stairwell. While just outside the apartment, police officers heard a woman screaming.
According to police, at 11:23 a.m., a gunshot was heard coming from inside the apartment, which prompted the officers to force entry into the apartment, fearing the woman had been shot and was injured. A male appeared at the end of the hallway, holding an object, which was later determined to be a cellphone. Police discharged their weapons, and Tinsley fell to the ground. Police immediately rendered first aid. Other officers advanced down the hallway and entered the master bedroom, where they found the adult female, physically unharmed.
Police recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson 30 Super Carry firearm in the bedroom. Two Blazer Super Carry 30 fired cartridge casings (FCC) and one Blazer Super Carry 30 FCC were also recovered. Two bullet holes were observed in the bedroom walls.
Tinsley was transported to Abington Jefferson Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to police.
You can read the full press release here.
