By Larry King
The Philadelphia Inquirer
PHILADELPHIA — Richard Cantando could not bear the thought of returning to prison, authorities said.
So with a warrant for his arrest hanging over him for a parole violation, a suicidal Cantando led police on a wild chase through upper Bucks County early Tuesday, leaning out of the window of his speeding BMW and firing on officers before turning his gun on himself.
Cantando, 27, died after shooting himself in the head as he fled from police along heavily traveled Route 309 near Quakertown.
By then he had led police from several departments on a 20-minute pursuit, firing at them at two locations but hitting only the radiator of a Hilltown Township cruiser, disabling it, District Attorney David Heckler said.
The resident of the Blooming Glen section of Hilltown had been under court supervision for anger-related domestic crimes. When he failed to check in with his parole officer, a Bucks County Court judge signed a warrant for his arrest Aug. 23.
Court records show that Cantando had been in and out of trouble with the law for several years. He was enrolled in anger-management and domestic-violence programs after assault, harassment, and prowling convictions in Bucks and Montgomery Counties.
Late Monday afternoon, Hilltown Township police received a report that Cantando was suicidal. He had allegedly told his minister that he was in trouble anew, and “was not going to let authorities take him back to prison,” Heckler said.
Seven hours later, about 12:20 a.m. Tuesday, Hilltown officers spotted Cantando’s car entering an apartment complex parking lot. When they tried to stop him, Heckler said, Cantando sped off.
With two Hilltown cruisers chasing him, Cantando leaned out of his window and squeezed off six or seven shots, Heckler said, disabling one car.
The remaining Hilltown vehicle was soon joined by police from other departments as Cantando drove north on Route 309.
In Quakertown, police put spiked devices on the roadway to puncture the BMW’s tires. The “stop sticks” successfully flattened at least one of Cantando’s rear tires, but he drove on, entering Springfield Township.
There, state police tried to force the car off the road by striking its left rear with the right front of the troopers’ car. Cantando’s vehicle stopped on an embankment near Bubba’s Potbelly Stove restaurant, facing south.
Cantando then drove toward police, again firing at them out of his window. Police shot back but missed.
Cantando continued south on Route 309 for about five miles and, near Tollgate Road in Richland Township, put his gun against his head and fired. His car drove off the road into a ditch, Heckler said.
Cantando was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital in Quakertown, where he was pronounced dead.
Police were not injured. Heckler said county detectives will be investigating.
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