By Mary Pickels
Tribune-Review
GREENBURG, Pa. — An East Huntingdon man who led police on a high-speed chase Wednesday night raised a gun and fired, and troopers returned fire, state police Thursday.
State police haven’t said whether Ryan Senko, 22, was shot by troopers or shot himself.
Police were looking for Senko Wednesday after his mother initiated a mental health warrant for him, according to state police spokesman Stephen Limani.
He was shot near his home on Quarry Street just outside Mt. Pleasant, police said.
Senko was pronounced dead at 10:16 p.m. at UPMC Presbyterian hospital, a spokesman for the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said. An autopsy is scheduled for today.
Senko had recently purchased a firearm, Limani said in a news release. He was despondent over a recent breakup with a girlfriend and was looking for the woman, who attends the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and works at Westmoreland Mall, police said.
Limani said the police pursuit through Hempfield Township and Mt. Pleasant Borough began soon after the university’s police department notified state police they were following a blue Honda CRV matching the description and registration of Senko’s vehicle.
Numerous police vehicles pursued Senko from Mt. Pleasant Road onto Route 30 just after 8:30 p.m. The chase followed several roads, including Route 981, police said.
“Several times Senko nearly collided with vehicles, including a school bus,” Limani said.
A trooper initiated a “pit (police intervention technique) maneuver,” tapping a vehicle from behind, to move the Honda off the road and end the pursuit, police said.
“From his driver’s seat, Senko raised a handgun and discharged his weapon. The trooper fired shots from his vehicle at Senko,” Limani said.
“There were multiple shots fired,” Greensburg state police Lt. James Shaw Shaw said at the scene Wednesday. “I have not gotten to talk to the officers involved or view the video recorder yet.”
The windshield of a police car parked along Quarry Street Wednesday appeared to have a shattered windshield.
Senko’s weapon was recovered at the scene, Shaw said.
Police officers remained along Quarry Street into the early morning Thursday. Several neighbors stood outside watching.
“I saw two cop cars go by one way, then two more came from the other direction,” said Holli Brentzel, a neighbor.
“When EMS got here, he (police officer) yelled, ‘Gunshot to the head,’” Brentzel said. “We were sitting outside. We heard no gunshots.”
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