BRIDGEVILLE, DE – Delaware State Police are currently probing an officer-involved shooting that transpired in Bridgeville.
On the night of October 4, Bridgeville Police Department was alerted to a home invasion at Canterbury Apartments. A male intruder entered a home, presenting a firearm to the occupants before escaping the scene ahead of police arrival.
Less than an hour later, an employee from Perdue AgriBusiness – Bridgeville Grain Elevator and Feed Mill made a distress call. The individual claimed that a colleague, identified as the home invader, appeared at the workplace claiming it was his “last day”. This individual displayed his firearm and instructed the co-worker to inform the police, then left the premises.
Upon receiving the report, Troop 5 and Bridgeville Police officers arrived at Newton and Adams Road, spotting the individual on foot in an adjacent field. Upon confrontation, the individual fired two shots, prompting a trooper to shoot back. The man was subsequently discovered on Newton Road, deceased from a gunshot injury. A firearm and a spent casing from his weapon were found nearby. It remains unclear if the fatal wound was self-inflicted or due to the altercation.
The individual, a 23-year-old Bridgeville resident, remains unidentified as the family is yet to be informed. In accordance with standard procedures, the involved officer will be placed on administrative duty pending an investigation into the use of force.1