The Lancaster Police Department has released the bodycam video and 9-1-1 calls of a deadly robbery where the would-be robber was shot dead by police.
In the video, you can see an officer tries to deescalate Troy Kirk who was holding a knife to the throat of a Cristy’s Pizza employee.
After several attempts to negotiate, authorization was given to take a clear shot to kill Kirk. No one else was injured.
It happened Saturday morning at around 12:30 p.m. at Cristy’s Pizza in Lancaster, according to the police department.
Police said that 31-year-old Kirk stormed the pizza place located on Pierce Avenue and took employee Tiffany Pelfrey hostage with a knife in an apparent robbery. Four other employees escaped.
SWAT and police surrounded the establishment before a standoff ensued.
“Officers attempted to negotiate and deescalate the situation, but the male subject refused to cooperate,” said deputy chief Dan Shupp. “In order to protect the life of the hostage, the supervisor on the scene made the decision to authorize deadly force….”
Lancaster Police told the Guardian on Saturday that an officer fired a shot and the robber was killed. Shupp said that Kirk used Pelfrey as a human shield, but she was not injured.
The pizza parlor was closed for the rest of the day.
