Police ID suspect killed in standoff, officer-involved shooting in Pottstown

POTTSTOWN, Pa. - A gunman is dead after investigators say he ran from the scene of a crash and barricaded himself inside a home where he fired shots at police, injuring an officer.

Andrew Jackson Ecker, 25, opened fire on police while held up inside his home on Winding Road in Pottstown late Sunday night, according to investigators.

The five-hour-long barricade ended just before 11 p.m. when authorities say Ecker was fatally shot.

What we know:

Officers from the Pottstown Police Department were called to the area of Beech and Mount Vernon streets around 5 p.m. Sunday for reports of a vehicle crash.

Ecker, one of the drivers who police say was involved in the crash, ran from officers when investigators say they found a .22 caliber firearm. 

The 25-year-old ran to his home on Winding Road where investigators say he opened fire on police, striking Officer Caleb Whitney in the shoulder.

Officer Whitney was brought to Reading Hospital for treatment and was released on Sunday night.

Investigators say Ecker refused to exit the home and a five-hour-long barricade situation unfolded, involving members of the Montgomery County SWAT team.

One of Ecker's relatives worked with SWAT negotiators to try to convince him to peacefully exit the home, but investigators say Ecker refused.

At 10:45 p.m, investigators say Ecker was fatally shot by police.,

A shelter-in-place was issued during the standoff and was lifted just before midnight.

What they're saying:

"We just heard an initial shot or two and then looked out the window and saw the police outside and then the suspect in the back firing shots," said Melissa Murphy, neighbor of the suspect.

"The father of my child texted me and said AJ showed up at our house and that he asked him to leave our property because he had a gun around his waistband," said Hilary Lavender, friend and neighbor of the suspect. "He did some odd jobs around our house some plumbing stuff and we owed him like $50 and he was asking for that basically."

Hilary Lavender says this was just before AJ was involved in a car crash on Beech and North Mount Vernon streets around 5 p.m. 

"It was so loud there were drones everywhere police were all over the place they shot out the windows," said Murphy.

"We knew him since we moved in here. We are both recovering addicts," said Lavender. "Aj struggled with that so we tried our best multiple times to try to get him down to the right path and to make better decisions and our kids have had play dates together."

Neighbors confirmed he worked at his family’s HVAC business as seen here on the company website. 

"You’re in this area of Pottstown and you would never think but just goes to show anybody can be one bad decision away from ruining their whole lives," said Lavender.