By Riley Yates
The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — State police were justified in shooting a 22-year-old Monroe County man who opened fire on them at a traffic stop, critically injuring one trooper, authorities announced Thursday.
Cpl. Seth J. Kelly and Trooper Ryan Seiple were in essence “sitting ducks” when a motorist they stopped Nov. 7 grabbed a gun from his car and immediately began shooting, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said at a news conference.
Morganelli called his decision to clear the two troopers an easy one, saying the stop was captured on video and audio recording. It showed the troopers exercising impressive restraint during a violent encounter in which their suspect fought with them and at one point tried to grab Seiple’s gun from its holster, Morganelli said.
“I’m very proud of how they operated in this case,” Morganelli said. “They followed their training.”
Daniel Khalil Clary of Effort is charged with attempted murder and is being held in Northampton County Jail under $1 million bail. Morganelli said his office is now focused on winning his conviction.
Clary is accused of shooting Kelly after Kelly and Seiple tried to arrest him on suspicion of driving under the influence of a controlled substance. Clary was also wounded in the gunfight, police said, and was hospitalized for five day before he was transferred to jail.
Kelly continues to recover from gunshot wounds to his neck, shoulder and thigh, but his condition has been characterized as stable. A 13-year veteran of state police and the husband of a Forks Township police detective, Kelly is being treated at St. Luke’s Hospital in Fountain Hill.
Seiple stopped Clary’s vehicle on Route 33 in Plainfield Township and issued him a speeding citation. When Seiple started to drive away, Clary flagged him down and asked how to pay for the citation.
Seiple suspected Clary was under the influence and saw drug paraphernalia in Clary’s car, according to court records. Seiple called for backup and after Kelly arrived, they gave Clary a sobriety test that he failed, according to police.
A “knock-down, drag-out” fight ensued when the troopers tried to arrest Clary as cars sped past them, Capt. Richard D’Ambrosio has said.
Clary was hit with a stun gun, but it had little affect on him, and he got away from the troopers, according to court records. He got a handgun from his car and opened fire, hitting Kelly several times, police said.
The troopers returned fire and Clary fled in his car and drove himself to Easton Hospital, police said.
©2017 The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)