Norristown man draws prison for pointing gun at cop
NORRISTOWN >> A Norristown man who pointed a loaded gun at the chest of a borough detective during a disturbance, and who was then shot and wounded by the detective, is headed to prison on weapons and assault charges.
Damar Marcus Coleman, 30, of the 600 block of Swede Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court on Friday to 8-to24-years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to felony charges of aggravated assault and person not to possess a firearm in connection with a Feb. 27, 2018, incident during which he pointed a Phoenix Arms Raven .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol at a borough detective.
“When confronted by (the detective), you took that loaded firearm, which was in your hand, and pointed it at (the detective), pressing it into his chest, attempting to cause serious bodily injury to him,” county Assistant District Attorney Laura Bradbury addressed Coleman in court as she explained the specific nature of Coleman’s admission.
“At the time that you pointed the loaded firearm at (the detective), it was unable to fire because of a ‘double feed’ in the barrel of
the gun,” Bradbury added.
According to prosecutors, a double feed is a malfunction that occurs when two rounds attempt to feed into a pistol’s chamber at the same time.
With the charges, prosecutors also alleged Coleman was prohibited from legally possessing a firearm because he had a previous felony drug conviction dating back to 2009. The investigation determined that the pistol possessed by Coleman was reported stolen in 2012 to Marple Township police in Delaware County, according
to court papers.
The sentence was imposed by Judge Wendy G. Rothstein as part of a plea agreement. Coleman, who was represented by defense lawyer Andrew Joseph Levin, was scheduled to go to trial on the charges on Monday.
Several Norristown police officers and detectives were
in the courtroom as Coleman admitted his guilt.
Bradbury sought a state prison term against Coleman, saying it was only because the weapon experienced a “double feed” and was unable to be fired that the detective was not injured.
“This was a very serious case,” Bradbury said. “Our police officers are individuals who put their lives at risk every day for the safety of the community and we take it very seriously when an individual tries to put them in danger.”
The incident occurred about 11:22 a.m. in the 200 block of East Chestnut Street.
Confronted with Coleman pointing a gun at his chest, the detective fired a single
gunshot from his .40-caliber Glock pistol, according to prosecutors. Coleman suffered a wound to his shoulder and was treated at Penn Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office conducted an independent investigation of the policeinvolved shooting and determined it was a lawful use of force.
The detective was cleared of wrongdoing after the investigation found he was justified in opening fire after Coleman refused repeated commands to surrender and pointed a gun at the detective following a foot chase that ended in a rear yard of a residence in the 200 block of East Chestnut Street.
“The evidence showed
that this was an armed and dangerous man — a person not allowed to possess a firearm — who pointed a loaded gun at a Norristown police officer at close range putting police officers and bystanders at risk,” District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said in March 2018 when he announced the independent investigation’s findings.
“That officer discharged his firearm to put a stop to the risk. Our investigation determined the facts of this case supported the use of deadly force,” Steele added at the time.
Steele noted that according to the Pennsylvania criminal code, use of deadly force is justified when an officer believes it is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury to himself or another person, or to prevent the escape of someone in possession of a deadly weapon, or otherwise indicates the intent to endanger life or inflict serious bodily injury.
The incident unfolded when borough police responded to a report of a fight between several males, one of whom had a gun, in the area of Arch and Elm streets. When police arrived at the scene, Coleman fled and a detective engaged in a foot pursuit that ended in the 200 block of East Chestnut Street.
Coleman turned on the pursuing detective and moved toward him while holding a gun before being shot, prosecutors said.
The loaded silver .25-caliber semi-automatic pistol possessed by Coleman was recovered from the scene.
An inventory of the .40-caliber Glock pistol held by the detective revealed the absence of one live projectile. A single .40-caliber fired shell casing was recovered at the shooting scene, according to court papers.