Police Kill Man Who Made Threats
Police shot and killed a man in Drexel Hill Tuesday night after he tried to run over officers with his car — and after he’d made a series of video threats against law enforcement.
WTXF reported that police had identified the man as Joseph Pacini, 52, of Clifton Heights, Pa. Authorities said that Pacini had posted a video on social media threatening to kill police and FBI agents. The station reported that police had obtained an arrest warrant in relation to the threats and SWAT teams were en route to Pacini’s apartment to serve it when he left in his car at around 4 p.m. local time.
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said that officers stopped Pacini at an intersection in the town and ordered him out of his car. Instead of complying, Pacini backed into the Clifton Heights police chief’s car and then prepared to run over other officers.
Chitwood said the officers feared Pacini would kill them and they “did what they had to do.” He said five officers fired at the man and no officers were injured.
According to police the suspect has a history of mental illness.
He allegedly posted videos on YouTube and threatened to kill police. He posted his last video minutes before he was shot and killed.
“This is my coming out party. So if you want to try and bring me down I will [expletive] kill you and your whole [expletive] family all right? So go ahead and [expletive] with me.”
In the videos, Pacini claims he was falsely accused of crimes he didn’t commit, begs for singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles to save him and threatens to kill law enforcement officers who were following him.
Pacini also asks Bareilles, a singer best known for her 2007 hit single “Love Song,” to come to his rescue while calling her his “twin flame soul mate.”
“Now Sara, this is up to you to come out and save me,” he says. “You’ve got probably 12 to 24 hours tops. I’m waiting on you.”
