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JOHNSTOWN – Three Johnstown police officers have been placed on administrative leave after a fatal shooting in the city Wednesday evening.
The Johnstown Police Department officers responded to a call of a man wielding knives about 5:45 p.m., according to state police at Ebensburg, who are conducting an investigation into the incident.
Police said the man, identified Friday afternoon as Daniel David Burkhardt, 41, of Johnstown was standing in Spickler Alley in the city’s West End neighborhood armed with two knives.
According to officials, the officers told the man to drop the knives, but he refused and began walking toward the officers.
Police reported shooting bean bag rounds and using a Taser to try and stop Burkhardt, but he “continued advancing toward officers.”
Police shot the man several times, although it’s unclear how many of the officers shot or how many times they fired.
State police have not said how many bullets struck Burkhardt.
After shooting him, police said they administered CPR and other first aid measures while they waited for an ambulance.
Burkhardt was taken to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
County Coroner Jeffrey Lees said in reports the man’s death has been ruled a homicide, but it will be up to Cambria County District Attorney Kelly Callihan to rule whether the shooting was justified.
State police said they opened an investigation by 6:30 p.m.; because the investigation is ongoing, no other information is being released.
According to the Tribune-Democrat, the last police shooting in Johnstown occurred in June 2012, when three officers tried to stop an oncoming vehicle and shot and killed the driver, 27-year-old Elip Cheatham.
Callihan ruled the shooting justifiable.