WILMINGTON — A 36-year-old Smyrna man was wounded in an officer-involved shooting Friday night and later charged with offenses, Delaware State Police said.
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WILMINGTON — A 36-year-old Smyrna man was wounded in an officer-involved shooting Friday night and later charged with offenses as investigation continues Delaware State Police said.
According to authorities, at approximately 9:19 p.m., troopers responded to a residence on Ferris Road regarding a man who was reported to be suicidal. Preliminary investigation revealed that two teens on Ferris Road observed a man, later identified as 36-year-old Jonathan Kreiser, walking in the street and waving a gun, authorities said.
Police said that Mr. Kreiser made statements indicating that he wanted them to shoot him. One of the teens convinced Mr. Kreiser to put the gun down, police said . The teen then removed the magazine and placed both the gun and magazine on the sidewalk.
Police said the teens subsequently called 911 to report the incident.
Upon arrival, police said, the first trooper on scene began negotiating with Mr. Kreiser. The trooper gave numerous commands for him to show his hidden hand, but Mr. Kreiser refused to comply, authorities said.
Mr. Kreiser then picked up the gun from the sidewalk, continued to ignore the trooper’s commands, inserted the magazine into the gun, and turned toward the trooper, prompting the trooper to discharge his divisional-issued firearm at Mr. Kreiser, police said.
Police said that following the shooting, troopers administered first aid to Mr. Kreiser until EMS arrived and transported him to an area hospital by ambulance for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds.
Mr. Kreiser remains hospitalized in stable condition. No one else was injured as a result of this incident, police said.
Mr. Kreiser was charged with aggravated menacing and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 11 and was turned over to the custody of the Delaware Department of Correction on a $21,000 cash bond.
Police said it was later determined that Kreiser was the subject of a Gold Alert issued by the Smyrna Police Department earlier in the day. The Gold Alert indicated that Mr. Kreiser had taken his brother’s gun and was suicidal, police said.
Per Delaware State Police standard operating procedures, the involved trooper has been placed on administrative leave pending a use of force investigation conducted in conjunction with the Delaware Department of Justice, authorities said.
Investigation continues and police ask anyone with information on the case to contact Detective D. Grassi by calling 302-365-8441 or emailing daniel.grassi@delaware.gov. Information may also be provided by contacting Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.