Alonzo Small, and Esteban Parra

The News Journal

A Wilmington officer shot a 17-year-old boy in the right knee Thursday after the teen pointed a replica handgun at an officer, police said.

The teen was treated by New Castle County paramedics and transported to Christiana Hospital in good condition. The officer, a 10-year veteran of the department, has been placed on administrative duty, per department policy.

The incident began about 6:45 p.m. when police were called to respond to the area of Second and N. King streets for a gun complaint. Arriving officers saw the suspect at Second and N. West streets, and tried to stop him.

But when he did, Wilmington police Sgt. Andrea Janvier said the suspect ran on foot.

In an updated release, Janvier said officers caught up to the suspect in the 400 block of W. Third St., where he tripped and fell to the ground.

The suspect then got to his feet, pulled a weapon from his waistband and pointed it at one of the officers, Janvier said.

The 10-year veteran fired his department-issued handgun, striking the suspect in the right knee, she said.

"The officer's partner, a six-year veteran of the force, was then able to take the suspect to the ground and place him into custody and recover the weapon," she said. "The weapon was found to be a black in color replica handgun."

The teen faces charges of aggravated menacing and resisting arrest, Janvier said.

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Many bystanders in the area Thursday said they heard one gunshot.

Residents living in the Quaker Hill Place gathered outside the lobby entrance after the incident. T.P. Young, 62, of Wilmington, said he was inside the building on the sixth floor when he heard a gunshot. Young said he looked outside the window and didn't see anything, but like many others, he went downstairs to see what happened. Young said when he made it downstairs from the elevator he saw paramedics stretchering someone from an area of small trees.

The Criminal Investigations Division, the Office of Professional Standards and the state Attorney General's Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust are investigating.

Police continue to look into the incident and ask anyone with information relative to this investigation to call Detective Sgt. John Drysdale at (302) 576-3635.

Contact Alonzo Small at (302) 324-2856 or asmall@delawareonline.com. Follow him on Twitter @P_AlonzoSmall. Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.