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Warren Officer Likely ‘Saved Lives’ In Fatal Shooting Incident

WARREN, Pa. — The City of Warren, Pa., Police officer who shot and killed an armed man at Dairy Delite on Friday night “potentially saved the lives of lots of people,” according to the lead investigator in the case.

Joseph Miller, 54, of Clarendon, was getting out of his vehicle with a loaded AK-47 Friday night, when the officer shot him.

Pennsylvania State Police Troop E Erie Crime Section Commander Lt. Wayne Kline said the state police will provide all of its evidence to Warren County District Attorney Rob Greene, who will then rule on whether or not the shooting was justified.

Kline said state police will not take a formal position in its presentation, but that the case seems clear-cut.

“(In) this case particularly, there isn’t any gray area,” he said Tuesday. “The guy has an AK-47 with a 30-round clip in and one in the chamber with at least a dozen people around.”

There was a drum magazine that held “at least” 50 rounds in the vehicle, he said.

“Potentially the officer prevents a catastrophe,” Kline said. “From our standpoint, he potentially saved the lives of lots of people.”

Miller was in legal possession of the AK-47, according to Kline.

Police spoke with several eye-witnesses and reviewed the video from the camera inside the City of Warren police cruiser.

“The in-car video from the Warren City patrol vehicle is consistent with all the witnesses,” he said.

An autopsy was performed on Miller on Tuesday. Kline did not have any preliminary results from that examination Tuesday afternoon.

Shortly before the traffic stop at Dairy Delite, Miller had made a stop at the state liquor store in Warren, Kline said. Miller was acting peculiar there and was refused service.

According to Kline, Miller suffered from some level of hearing loss, but nothing that would in any way justify his actions during the traffic stop.

The next step for state police is to compile all of the information and give it to Greene. “We put together the investigation. We’ve concluded all of our interviews,” Kline said. “The district attorney makes the determination.”

Greene declined comment on the incident until he has reviewed all of the information from the investigation.

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