Policeman killed after routine stop; officer’s suspected killer shot dead [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Dec. 20--Stopped by police along Interstate 70 in Washington County, Eli Franklin Myers had just learned that his junk-laden minivan would be impounded because he lacked insurance and a valid registration.

And that is when he evidently snapped.

Seconds later, an officer lay dying on the edge of the highway from gunshot wounds. His backup officer, wounded in the hand, radioed for help. Mr. Myers sped away, retreating to his ramshackle house in the village of Webster in Westmoreland County, where he held police at bay for nearly 10 hours before they shot him to death.

Killed was Officer John David Dryer, 46, of Claysville. The wounded officer was identified as Robert V. Caldwell III, also 46 and like Officer Dryer, a member of the East Washington Borough Police Department. Officer Caldwell underwent surgery at Allegheny General Hospital.

"The initial prognosis for him is good," Washington County District Attorney Steven Toprani said at a news briefing Monday.

Mr. Toprani, joined by Lt. Christopher Neal, crime section commander for Troop B Washington of the Pennsylvania State Police, sketched out the events that began with a seemingly routine traffic stop shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday on eastbound I-70, just east of the Beau Street interchange.

They believe Officer Dryer saw Mr. Myers, 58, commit some type of traffic violation on a borough street and tried to pull him over. Mr. Myers didn't stop until he had entered the expressway. There, he pulled over and Officer Dryer wrote two citations, which he handed to Mr. Myers.

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Officer Caldwell arrived to back up his fellow officer. Officer Dryer advised Mr. Myers his vehicle would be seized and towed away. He asked if any weapons were inside and when Mr. Myers said yes, the officers ordered him out of the minivan.

According to Mr. Toprani, Mr. Myers got out and fired a shot from a large-caliber handgun into Officer Dryer's groin. As Officer Caldwell tried to take cover, Mr. Myers fired at him, striking his hand. Then, standing over the fallen Officer Dryer, he fired another shot into the right side of the officer's head.

Officer Caldwell managed to radio emergency dispatchers for help. His call was received at 11:12 p.m. A tow truck driver, identified in an affidavit as Leroy Marker of Rusty's Towing, arrived as Mr. Myers was getting back into the van. Mr. Marker quoted him as saying, "I got to get out of here."

Mr. Marker told him not to leave and tried to grab him through the driver's side window, but Mr. Myers turned the wheel and escaped. As he pulled away, the tow truck driver smashed the rear side window with his fist.

Mr. Marker was good friends with both officers involved in the shooting. When reached Monday evening, he said he did not want to talk about what happened Sunday night.

Police in Rostraver, where Webster is located, spotted the dark blue Dodge minivan after an all-points bulletin was issued. Shortly after midnight, they followed it to Mr. Myers' house at Fifth and Shell streets and saw him rush inside. Soon, state police and officers from several Washington and Westmoreland municipalities surrounded the house.

Meanwhile, Officer Dryer was pronounced dead at 1:04 a.m. at Washington Hospital.

The standoff

Across the street from Mr. Myers' house, Chris and Amy DiPerna's four dogs started making a commotion. The couple looked out and saw a light on in Mr. Myers' minivan -- nothing unusual, they said, because their reclusive neighbor would sometimes sit in the van for hours, late into the night. They went to bed.

Fifteen minutes later, they heard a police officer with a bullhorn ordering Mr. Myers to come out with his hands up. "We jumped out of bed and looked out, and the street was filled with cop cars," Ms. DiPerna said.

A police sniper was lying in the grass near their home. They hustled their three teenage daughters to a bedroom in the back. Mr. and Ms. DiPerna watched the unfolding drama through a window. Ms. DiPerna said it was about 3:15 a.m. when police fired the first canisters of tear gas through the windows of the Myers house.

A while later, the couple heard gunshots, followed by police warning Mr. Myers via bullhorn to stop shooting. Lt. Neal said at the news briefing that Mr. Myers had fired at least one shot at police during the siege.

Officers continued to periodically fire tear gas through the windows. By the time the standoff ended, they had sent the gas crashing through every one of the 15 or so windows in the large two-story frame house.

The last barrage may have been what forced Mr. Myers out the back door about 9:40 a.m., Lt. Neal said. Police said he was carrying a gun. Whether he aimed or fired it wasn't clear on Monday. What was evident from the scene and from witness accounts is that he got no more than a step outside the door when he was shot by state police snipers who were perched behind a rusted tractor on the street above the Myers house.

"I heard three shots," said Andy Pugliesi, a neighbor who was standing outside. A moment later, 25 to 30 fully clad SWAT team members "started congregating" and removing their gear, signaling to him that the standoff was over.

Mr. Toprani said investigators were looking into Mr. Myers' background, searching for clues as to what provoked the deadly assault. "All we know at this point is he was certainly misguided."

Jon Schmitz: [email protected] or 412-263-1868.

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