Gun shots were fired on Main Street in Kutztown during an altercation early Saturday morning. Arrests are anticipated for three individuals from Reading.
Kutztown Police Chief Craig Summers said the shots were fired at 2:20 a.m. in the 300 block of West Main Street in Kutztown, involving three individuals from Reading in a vehicle.
‘The three in the car had some sort of altercation with several others at the intersection of W. Main and S. Whiteoak streets,’ said Summers. ‘The driver shot a weapon into the air four times. An officer, who was up the street, heard the shots and tried to stop the vehicle. He shot at the vehicle trying to disable it. Another officer gave chase and was able to get the vehicle stopped.’
The subjects were taken into custody and arrests are anticipated, said Summers. Due to a Kutztown officer being involved in the shooting, the case was given to the Berks County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution, he said.
Addressing resident concerns, Summers said that ‘certainly residents have a right to be concerned when anyone randomly shoots a gun.In this particular case, the police were at or near the scene when it happened and were able to stop and detain those responsible.As mentioned before, arrests are anticipated and the danger to the public from these people that evening was immediately eliminated.’ While the police cannot be at all places at all times, Summers said that the Kutztown Police Department has an outstanding record of being able to make arrests on individuals responsible for criminal acts in serious cases.
‘When Kyle Quinn was murdered in 2007, the police were on the scene within seconds and able to arrest the individuals responsible. Last spring when several people were robbed, the police were able to make arrests and the robberies stopped,’ said Summers. ‘In this shooting incident, the police were within earshot and able to apprehend the responsible parties within minutes.’
Noting that while acts of violence take seconds to occur, Summers said the Kutztown Police in many incidents are very close to the scene when they happen because the department makes a concerted effort to be proactive in its approach to stopping crime.
‘One merely has to look at the number of arrests the Kutztown Borough Police makes compared to other police departments of a similar size to realize the active and visible enforcement that takes place on a daily basis,’ he said.
