Man shot, killed by Washington County officers was unarmed

A man shot and killed Sunday by police in Washington County was unarmed, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

State troopers are investigating the fatal shooting, which authorities said stemmed from an attempted traffic stop-turned pursuit.

Eduardo Lee Hoover Jr., 38, was killed in the incident.

Hoover was driving a 2004 Dodge Ram pickup around 5:15 p.m. when Smith Township police tried to pull him over for alleged reckless driving, authorities said. Hoover did not stop and led police on a short pursuit that “lasted several miles at varying speeds,” state police said.

The pursuit began in Mt. Pleasant Township, according to police. About 10 miles away on Jefferson Avenue in Washington Hoover slowed down, allowing police to position cruisers in front of and behind the truck.

Police said Hoover put the truck in reverse and rammed a police car that was behind him. He pulled forward and hit a utility pole before again accelerating in reverse toward officers.

State troopers said officers from Smith Township and Mt. Pleasant opened fire. It was not clear at what point Mt. Pleasant police got involved in the chase.

Hoover, of Coraopolis, was pronounced dead around 8 p.m., according to the coroner’s office. State police will hand over findings to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, which will have the final say in ruling whether the shooting was justified.

Hoover’s father, Eduardo Hoover Sr., told Post-Gazette news partner KDKA-TV he does not believe it was.

“He is dead now. He doesn’t have a voice,” Mr. Hoover told the TV station. “But I have to be his voice.”

He said his son was a father of three who’d fallen on hard times but was working to turn things around.

“Can’t you just stop the vehicle with another vehicle?” he said. “There are other ways to stop a vehicle.”