Chesco Cop Convicted For Shooting At Driver During Traffic Stop: DA

Sergeant Anthony Sparano pulled over a Chrysler 300 after midnight on Nov. 10, 2021, on the 100 block of Octorara Trail Road, the DA's Office said. 

Body camera footage showed the driver, Takeisha Landry, was filming Sparano while he asked for her license and registration, according to the criminal complaint. Authorities said Landry "refused to comply" with Sparano's repeated requests. 

"The interaction between Sergeant Sparano and Landry began to escalate," the affidavit says, and when Sparano pulled open the car door to remove her, investigators said Landry drove away. 

That's when the sergeant fired his service weapon at her Chrysler, shattering a window and knocking broken glass into the car, according to charging documents. Landry was not injured. 

Authorities said Sparano got back in his squad car and was able to pull Landry over on the 700 block of Octorara Trail Road, where she was arrested. She told Sparano she was "unable to comply due to being strapped into her seatbelt," detectives wrote. 

Sparano, 55, of Coatesville, was convicted of recklessly endangering another person and propulsion of missiles into an occupied vehicle after a week-long jury trial, the DA's Office said. 

"I want to thank the jury for their work on this difficult trial," said DA Christopher L. de Barrena-Sarobe. "This case shows that the Chester County DA’s Office and law enforcement are committed to applying the law evenly to all citizens, even police officers."

Judge Allison Bell Royer ordered a pre-sentencing investigation and said she would try to schedule a sentencing hearing in "approximately one month," prosecutors added. 

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