Drizzt
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The Associated Press State & Local Wire
May 13, 2003, Tuesday, BC cycle
12:10 AM Eastern Time
SECTION: State and Regional
LENGTH: 471 words
HEADLINE: Retired police officer charged in fatal shooting over son's car
BYLINE: By RON TODT, Associated Press Writer
BODY:
A retired central Pennsylvania police officer has been charged with criminal homicide after authorities said he chased a teenager driving his son's car and then fatally shot the youth in the back.
Chester A. Guyer Jr., 73, a York police officer from 1955 until 1975, was charged in the death of Brian O. McIntosh, 19, of York, who was found in a red Cadillac that crashed into a building just before midnight Wednesday in West York, a suburb of York.
The York County Coroner's office said Monday that an autopsy showed McIntosh died of a gunshot that entered through his back and exited his chest.
Police said Guyer told them he had been searching the city for the car, which his son had loaned to another person and was unable to get back; the son was not named in court documents.
Authorities said Guyer told them he followed the car until it stopped, got out of his station wagon and shouted at the other driver to get out; Guyer said the youth backed up rapidly and then moved forward, striking him.
Guyer "said he was knocked onto the hood of the vehicle and rolled off ... then fired a single shot at the vehicle," the affidavit of probable cause filed in court said. He said he was aiming at the tires, not the driver, and fired in self-defense.
York prosecutors said they were examining the claim of self-defense, but expressed doubt that it held water.
"Generally when you shoot someone in the back ... that would be in conflict with self-defense," assistant district attorney David Cook said Monday.
Officers recovered two handguns from the defendant's bedroom, one of which was a 38-caliber revolver that investigators said Guyer later acknowledged having used in the shooting.
Guyer remained in York County prison without bail Monday. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for June 13 before District Justice Daniel Garber.
His attorney, Thomas Sponaugle, did not immediately return calls seeking comment Monday evening.
York police Capt. Bruce Veseth said since retirement Guyer had served as president of the retired officers' police union and also had a seat on the city police pension board until about a year ago.
Veseth said he knew of no previous criminal charges filed against Guyer.
Guyer testified for the defense Oct. 11 in the race-riot homicides trial about the type and disposition of weapons used by police during the 1969 race riots in York, during which a white police officer and a black woman were shot to death.
Two white men were convicted and sentenced to prison terms in the death of Lillie Belle Allen, 27, of South Carolina. Seven other white men pleaded guilty or no contest to lesser charges, and the city's former mayor, Charlie Robertson, was acquitted. Two black men were later convicted and drew prison terms in the death of patrolman Henry Schaad.
May 13, 2003, Tuesday, BC cycle
12:10 AM Eastern Time
SECTION: State and Regional
LENGTH: 471 words
HEADLINE: Retired police officer charged in fatal shooting over son's car
BYLINE: By RON TODT, Associated Press Writer
BODY:
A retired central Pennsylvania police officer has been charged with criminal homicide after authorities said he chased a teenager driving his son's car and then fatally shot the youth in the back.
Chester A. Guyer Jr., 73, a York police officer from 1955 until 1975, was charged in the death of Brian O. McIntosh, 19, of York, who was found in a red Cadillac that crashed into a building just before midnight Wednesday in West York, a suburb of York.
The York County Coroner's office said Monday that an autopsy showed McIntosh died of a gunshot that entered through his back and exited his chest.
Police said Guyer told them he had been searching the city for the car, which his son had loaned to another person and was unable to get back; the son was not named in court documents.
Authorities said Guyer told them he followed the car until it stopped, got out of his station wagon and shouted at the other driver to get out; Guyer said the youth backed up rapidly and then moved forward, striking him.
Guyer "said he was knocked onto the hood of the vehicle and rolled off ... then fired a single shot at the vehicle," the affidavit of probable cause filed in court said. He said he was aiming at the tires, not the driver, and fired in self-defense.
York prosecutors said they were examining the claim of self-defense, but expressed doubt that it held water.
"Generally when you shoot someone in the back ... that would be in conflict with self-defense," assistant district attorney David Cook said Monday.
Officers recovered two handguns from the defendant's bedroom, one of which was a 38-caliber revolver that investigators said Guyer later acknowledged having used in the shooting.
Guyer remained in York County prison without bail Monday. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for June 13 before District Justice Daniel Garber.
His attorney, Thomas Sponaugle, did not immediately return calls seeking comment Monday evening.
York police Capt. Bruce Veseth said since retirement Guyer had served as president of the retired officers' police union and also had a seat on the city police pension board until about a year ago.
Veseth said he knew of no previous criminal charges filed against Guyer.
Guyer testified for the defense Oct. 11 in the race-riot homicides trial about the type and disposition of weapons used by police during the 1969 race riots in York, during which a white police officer and a black woman were shot to death.
Two white men were convicted and sentenced to prison terms in the death of Lillie Belle Allen, 27, of South Carolina. Seven other white men pleaded guilty or no contest to lesser charges, and the city's former mayor, Charlie Robertson, was acquitted. Two black men were later convicted and drew prison terms in the death of patrolman Henry Schaad.
