Man who pointed gun at police officer gets prison

MEDIA COURTHOUSE » A 22-year-old Wilmington man who pointed a handgun at a pursuing police officer during a foot chase was sentenced to 11½ to 23 months with immediate parole Monday after entering an open guilty plea to felony charges of aggravated assault and receiving stolen property.

Barkim Kyriq White, of the 100 block of East 38th Street, will also have to serve three years of consecutive probation and pay $3,275 in restitution to Pennsylvania State Police for DNA testing. Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Cappelli noted supervision could be transferred to Delaware.

White was arrested Jan. 24, 2017, following a chase in Chester. City Officer Anthony Peticca was on patrol at about 10:45 p.m. in the area of Ninth Street and Clover Lane when he heard gunshots coming from an alley in the 900 block of Clover Lane, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Pettica drove down the alley and saw four people in groups of two on the east and west ends of the alley firing weapons either at each other or in an unknown direction, according to the affidavit.

The officer got out of his car and began pursuing two of the individuals on foot while loudly identifying himself as a police officer, the affidavit states. While in pursuit in the vicinity of 921 and 923 Clover Lane, Pettica saw the two individuals point their weapons in his direction, according to the affidavit.

Pettica drew his own service weapon and fired two shots in the direction of the fleeing suspects, but did not strike them. He continued to pursue them on foot and encountered one of the individuals, later identified as White, in the 3100 block of West Ninth Street.

The officer saw the man briefly holding a handgun before throwing it on the ground, according to the affidavit. Peticca took White into custody and recovered the .38 caliber revolver from the ground where he was standing. The revolver was later determined to have been stolen from Maryland.

Defense attorney Stephen Deavor said White was incarcerated nearly 10 months, from his arrest through Nov. 14, 2017, when he posted bail. Deavor noted the standard range for each offense is nine to 16 months and asked for a sentence of time served with probation.

Assistant District Attorney Jim Bonner did not object, but asked that White provide a DNA sample to state police, pay for DNA testing that had already been performed and forfeit any interest in the revolver.

Deavor indicated his client has good family support and no prior arrests. He called White’s actions an “aberration” and said he does not expect him to be back in the criminal justice system.