DA, Wilkes-Barre Police Chief share details of officer-involved shooting

WILKES-BARRE — Investigators on Tuesday said a woman told them a man held a gun to her temple and she thought she was “going to die,” according to arrest papers.

The woman said she managed to escape a house on East Beatty Street on Monday night and called 911.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon at the Luzerne County Courthouse, Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce and Wilkes-Barre City Police Chief Michael Boyle provided details of the incident that led to an officer-involved shooting.

Sanguedolce said at approximately 10 p.m. Monday, Wilkes-Barre City police were dispatched to a residence at 20 E. Beatty St. to respond to a reported physical domestic incident where a male assailant was alleged to have assaulted a female victim and threatened her both verbally and by pointing a firearm at her head.

“Responding officers found her on the street away from the residence,” Sanguedolce said. “She advised that the assailant, now identified as Shawn Antoine Adams, was in possession of two firearms and had threatened her. The officers secured a perimeter around the residence where they found Adams to be argumentative and refusing to adhere to police directions to exit the residence with his hands in the air.”

Sanguedolce and Boyle said that after some time, Adams exited the residence with a firearm in his hand, but quickly retreated back into the structure. They said Adams, 56, continued to refuse commands to surrender, but exited again, initially appearing to comply with police.

“When he suddenly dropped his hands, turned from officers, and reached for his waist, one of the officers discharged his weapon, striking Adams in the arm,” Sanguedolce said. “Adams was able to retreat inside the structure again.”

As officers continued to surround the residence, Sanguedolce and Boyle said Adams was seen in an upstairs window with “a larger firearm.”

“When he exited for a third time, before he could retreat inside, another officer deployed his taser, debilitating Adams and taking him into custody,” Sanguedolce said.

“He refused to comply even after being shot,” Boyle said.

Adams was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment. Sanguedolce said Adams was arraigned at the hospital.

The district attorney’s office was notified of the incident just before midnight, and the detective division responded.

Boyle said Wilkes-Barre City Police are investigating the domestic incident. The district attorney’s office is investigating the officer-involved shooting.

“Pursuant to standard operating procedure, the officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation into the shooting,” Boyle said.

During the investigation, Sanguedolce said Magisterial District Judge Joshua Moses granted a search warrant for the residence, which was searched in the early hours of Tuesday. The defendant was arraigned by Magisterial District Justice Thomas Malloy, who denied bail, finding Adams was a danger to the public.

Sanguedolce said a review of Adams’ criminal history reveals that he was convicted in 1996 for the criminal homicide of Jessie Gibson at the Airy Tavern, also in the City of Wilkes-Barre. Adams was convicted by a jury and sentenced to a term of 9-to-20 years in state prison.

Sanguedolce and Boyle said Adams has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault, carrying a firearm as a convicted felon, terroristic threats, and recklessly endangering another person. The investigation is ongoing.

The parties await the scheduling of a preliminary hearing to be held in Central Court.

Boyle praised his department’s work.

“This is an example of the excellence of the Wilkes-Barre Police Department,” Boyle said.