Witness: Handcuffed man shot in back of police cruiser in Spring Grove

Lindsay C VanAsdalan | York Dispatch

Police remained tight-lipped Thursday, May 31, about an officer-involved shooting in Spring Grove a day earlier.

A witness said a handcuffed man was shot while sitting in the back of a police cruiser Wednesday, May 30, at the Santander Bank branch at 39 W. Hanover St. in the borough.

The Pennsylvania State Police issued a news release Wednesday night stating the local troop's Major Case Team was dispatched about 6 p.m. to an officer-involved shooting at the location.

Pistol fired: A Southwestern Regional officer investigating a disturbance at the bank branch "fired his service pistol and struck the subject" about 4:45 p.m. according to the release.

The wounded man was transported to a York trauma center for treatment and is in stable condition, the release states.

Southwestern Regional Police said in a news release late Wednesday that no officers were injured other than receiving scrapes and bruises and no bank employees were hurt.

Additionally, the department said the incident was contained to the area of the bank and that no one in the community was in danger. The incident, according to the department, lasted several minutes.

State police spokesman Trooper James Spencer said the victim is a 32-year-old man from Jackson Township, who as of 1:45 p.m. Thursday was still listed in stable condition.

Witness: Amanda Cozio, who works as a cleaner at the bank, said she saw a man wearing a red bandana being brought out from the building in handcuffs.

She said he was arguing with police while seated in the back of a police car when he was shot.

Reached Thursday, Southwestern Regional Police Chief Greg Bean deferred questions to state police regarding the incident and Cozio's description of the events.

"When we are involved in a force-type situation, we look to another agency to review the case, in what we did," he said.

Spencer, the state police spokesman, would not provide details about the shooting, and he would not comment on Cozio's description. He said it's because the investigation is still active.

He said state police are working with the York County District Attorney's Offfice in the investigation.

Placed on leave: Bean said Thursday that the officer involved was placed on paid administrative leave.

“Any time there’s a police-involved shooting, by protocol, officers are placed on administrative leave, until we understand exactly what happened, so that’s the case in this situation,” he said.

— Staff writer Christopher Dornblaser contributed to this report.