A man is in critical but stable condition after being shot multiple times by police outside his Wilkins apartment building Wednesday afternoon.
The shooting occurred after the man, identified by police as Khalil Collier, 31, of Wilkins fired his handgun at officers who were responding to a 911 call at the Brentmoor at Penn Center, police said.
Emergency dispatchers were notified just after noon of an armed man in the building at 1100 Penn Center Blvd., who had allegedly threatened a maintenance worker during a dispute over an apartment, Allegheny County Police said.
According to a criminal complaint, Collier questioned the maintenance worker about why he needed to enter Collier’s apartment to perform work while he was not at home. Collier asked the worker to come upstairs to his apartment, police said.
When the worker refused, Collier produced a handgun and demanded they go to his apartment.
“There was some sort of physical altercation, and the maintenance man was able to get away,” said Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns. “Staff from the building called 911.”
When officers from the Churchill Police Department arrived, they located the man in a garage. Many of the parking spaces throughout the complex are small, connected garages that look similar to single-story self-storage units.
Despite negotiations and repeated commands to drop the weapon, police said the suspect, Collier, refused to cooperate.
“A Churchill officer attempted to use a less-lethal (beanbag shotgun) round to try and subdue him,” Kearns said. “The man responded by firing his handgun at the officers.”
Two additional Churchill officers returned fire with a Glock and AR-15, striking Collier multiple times in the legs, abdomen and right arm.
The suspect, who is believed to be a resident of the building, was taken to a local hospital. No officers were injured in the exchange.
Collier is facing multiple charges including assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and persons not to possess a firearm.
The scene, located in the rear of the Penn Center shopping plaza near Rodi Road and Route 22, remained active throughout the afternoon. The area is home to various medical offices, restaurants and residential apartments.
The multi-story apartment block was quiet hours after the incident, with a handful of residents out shoveling snow from around their cars.
Allegheny County Police are leading the investigation into the use of force. A preliminary hearing has not been scheduled.
Watch Kearns’ media briefing below.
