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Colin Petroziello opened fire on Chief Joe Kelly with a shotgun as he responded to a Yardley Commons apartment around 11 a.m., according to Lower Makefield Township Police Chief Ken Coluzzi and District Attorney Matt Weintraub.
The situation unfolded after Bucks County Adult Probation/Parole Officer Cristina Viviano arrived to conduct an offender check on Petroziello, according to the Bucks County DA's office.
She heard doors slamming and arguing coming from inside his apartment, and immediately called for assistance from Yardley Borough Police to report a domestic disturbance, authorities said. Chief Kelly arrived a short time later.
The two approached Petroziello's door, knocked, and identified themselves as police. Petroziello then fired a shotgun through the front door and struck Chief Kelly in the hand and ear, the DA's office said. Viviano was not injured.
Area SWAT teams arrived at the scene after Petroziello barricaded himself in the apartment and prevented his mother from leaving and police from entering, authorities said.
More than an hour after the shooting, Petroziello's mother, who still had her cellphone, told police that Petroziello had fallen asleep.
She was able to get the Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun and toss it out the window. She then escaped through the window herself, the D's office said.
Petroziello was taken into custody at 3:30 p.m., ending a more than 4-hour standoff, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.
As officials took him into custody, they found a loaded .45-caliber handgun tucked in his waistband, authorities said. A second loaded magazine was found in his pants pocket.
A search of his apartment also turned up brass knuckles in his bedroom.
A background check revealed Petroziello was twice committed on involuntary mental health commitments, making him ineligible to possess a firearm under Pennsylvania law, authorities said.
Petroziello was charged with attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, two counts of attempted murder, six counts of aggravated assault, and one count each of assault of a law enforcement officer, persons not to possess a firearm, false imprisonment, recklessly endangering another person and possession of an instrument of crime.
Magisterial District Judge Joseph P. Falcone arraigned Petroziello, denied him bail, and sent him to Bucks County Correctional Facility.
"I remember getting the call this morning, and the chills immediately ran up my spine," District Attorney Matt Weintraub said at a news briefing Wednesday afternoon.
"The luckiest person today is Chief Joseph Kelly, next are his family and then it's a tie: It's all of us that the police selflessly serve and protect without regard for their own public safety, every damn day." "And they do it without a thought of what could happen to them at any given moment,” he said.
“This is but one horrible and awesome example all rolled into one because Police Chief Joseph Kelly knew of the risks, but he took them anyway when he assisted a fellow officer on a check the well-being call this morning."
DA Weintraub added that Chief Kelly "was in good spirits" when he visited with him at St. Mary Medical Center on Wednesday, and he is expected to make a full recovery.
First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer M. Schorn is assigned to prosecute the case.
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