Aug 3, 2019 3 min read

A Monongahela police officer shot a man after a pursuit that ended when the suspect’s vehicle crashed early Saturday into a house in Allegheny County.

The suspect’s vehicle also struck a parked car, forcing it into another about 2:55 a.m. on Edgewood Street in South Park Township, witnesses and police said.

The driver who was shot in the torso, Joshua Burton, 29, of South Park Township, was taken to an area hospital, where he was in stable condition Saturday, Allegheny County police said.

A Monongahela officer stopped Burton’s vehicle about 2:50 a.m. in a Union Township parking lot. The vehicle sped off and the pursuit ended when the officer lost sight of the vehicle.

Monongahela police quickly came upon the vehicle again in a roadway where it had spun out of control. The officers attempted to block the car in using a police vehicle, but Burton fled again. The officers then renewed the pursuit.

Monongahela police Chief Kevin Harris confirmed that one of his officers was involved in the shooting. The officer’s name was not released Saturday. The officer has been placed on administrative leave until the investigation has been completed, Harris said.

Allegheny police charged Burton Saturday with aggravated assault on a police officer and resisting arrest upon his release from the hospital, online court records indicate. A warrant has been issued for his arrest upon his release from the hospital, police said.

Dyana Mongelli, a resident of Edgewood, said she heard a loud noise and thought it came from a television before she looked outside and saw the commotion.

She said Burton and a female ran from their car after it struck 3609 Edgewood, shearing off half of its porch.

The suspect’s car also struck Mongelli’s car, forcing it into a 2001 Volkswagon Beetle that she had recently purchased for her daughter as a graduation present. The second car’s radiator was destroyed in the crash.

“It’s been an interesting Saturday,” Mongelli said.

She said she noticed that a police officer was involved in a struggle with Burton and heard one gunshot.

Linda Phillips, who lives in the damaged house across the street, said the crash also damaged the side of her house and moved an interior wall about an inch.

Phillips said the street is lined with surveillance cameras that likely captured the scene. She also said she needed to have her house inspected to determine if it’s safe to live there.

The pursuit followed a narrow one-way road in the wrong direction before it made a sharp right turn onto Edgewood, witnesses said.

Burton’s vehicle also traveled up an embankment before it struct Mongelli’s car and spun around into the house.

The Monongahela officer then chased Burton on foot and took him to the ground.

Burton allegedly began to fight the officer and was able to break away at which time the officer used a Taser in an unsuccessful attempt to take him into custody, Allegheny police said. Burton began to fight with the officer, who drew his handgun and fired once.

The Monongahela officer also was treated at a hospital for cuts and bruises.

The investigation will be turned over to the Allegheny County district attorney’s office for review and a determination as to whether or not the shooting was justified.