Pocono News Section

Police Shoot Elderly Man

Police Shoot Elderly Man - Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 2:49PM EST

Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Thursday, Nov 20, 2008 @ 02:49pm EST
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, MONROE COUNTY - A 75 year old man pulled a shotgun on police and officers say they had to fire back to protect themselves. It happened on Manor Drive in Hamilton Township Monroe County at about one Thursday morning.

Officers say Robert Hagen shows signs of Dementia and may not have been taking his medication.

Lucy Tittle has lived across the street from Hagen for 12 years. She said he's been sad for years because he had to send his wife to a nursing home. "He goes there and sees her. It's hard when you're in a nursing home," she explained.

But Tittle never thought he'd get so desperate he might hurt someone. She described Hagen as a, "very nice guy."

When she looked out her window early Thursday morning she saw police cars at Hagen's home. She said, "I thought what happened? Then I thought maybe he died."

Hagen wasn't dead but he was in trouble. Police officers said Hagen's roommate called them at about 12:30 Thursday morning. "He had heard a gunshot from the bedroom of his roommate," explained State Police Captain James Murtin.

When troopers opened Hagen's door they saw him standing there with a shotgun. So they shut the door, moved away and went to call for backup. But then they say Hagen opened that door and pointed the shot gun directly at the troopers.

"At which time he left them no choice but to defend themselves," said Lt. Robert Bartal of the Pennsylvania State Police.

The police fired eleven shots. Four of them hit Hagen, one of them hit his head.

Murtin said, "We believe that the officers did what they had to do."

State Police officials say the officers had to defend themselves. Lucy agrees. She said, "If you had a gun pointing at you, you would do the same thing."

She hopes her neighbor recovers soon. And police are glad their co-workers were not harmed. "I just want to make sure that our guys go home to their families at the end of their shift," said Murtin.

The troopers who fired the shots are William Skotleski and Todd Tolan. They will work administrative jobs until the District Attorney decides whether their actions were justifiable.

Police say they may eventually file some charges against Hagen for putting the officers in danger.