SUNBURY - Police shot a 17-year-old boy after he eluded their pursuit, struck two police vehicles and tried to run over an officer with his car early Wednesday, state police reported.
The teen, who was identified by family friends as Naheem Reams, remained in critical condition at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, as of 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.
A man identifying himself as Reams' father contacted The News-Item Wednesday night and said his son had undergone surgery for a wound to his stomach and liver. He said the family wasn't getting any answers from police as to why his son was shot, and said his son wasn't violent.
The man, who had to quickly hang up, said he'd call back, but didn't. Attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.
The incident began on Fifth Street around 1 a.m. when police approached the car while clearing the street for the street sweeper and ended about a mile away near Market and Front streets. Reams' car could be seen shortly after, its right-side tires on a sidewalk and the left-side tires on the lawn at Merle Phillips Park between Front Street and the Susquehanna River wall.
Friends interviewed at a home at 452 N. Fifth St. Wednesday afternoon believe Reams may have fled because juvenile probation officers had been looking for him recently. When officers approached his car, that's why he took off, they believe. (See separate story.)
Reams grew up in Sunbury and attended Shikellamy High School. He is believed to have earned his high school diploma through Northwestern Academy.
Posts on his Facebook page Wednesday afternoon included a number of get-well wishes and at least three posts that say "F... the police."
One afternoon post asking for prayers noted Reams was in critical condition and said he's "not doing good."
Another said, "I just heard what happened. It's crazy because we were talking that same night. I was wondering why you stopped texting, but stay strong. You'll get through this!"
Minor injury to officer
A police report issued Wednesday morning by state police at Stonington, which lists the nature of the incident as aggravated assault, says three Sunbury police officers were the victims, but doesn't give their names. It says one of them suffered a minor injury. Matt Burrows, community service officer for state police Troop F, said the injury was to the officer's head.
Burrows said he would not release the names of the officers because the investigation is ongoing.
Police did not say who fired the shot, but it is believed to have been one of the three Sunbury officers.
Burrows also said he could not provide the name of the suspect because he is a juvenile and the incident involves a criminal investigation.
The state police report, issued by Trooper Ronald Zanella, did not detail where the teen was shot.
Emergency communications broadcasts during the incident said the shot hit "center mass," typically indicating the center of a target. Also heard were the words "apply pressure" and someone asking that the ambulance "hurry."
Point Township and Northumberland police were also responding to the scene at the time.
Street cleaner detail
Police said the incident began when Sunbury Police Department was attempting to clear local streets of vehicles for weekly street cleaning. Officers encountered a vehicle parked along Fifth Street near Brennan's Farm Road that was occupied by the suspect, the state police report said. Brennan's Farm Road is a short street connecting Fifth and Sixth streets, just south of Reagan Street near Goodwill Hose Company.
Police said they "attempted to request" the suspect move his vehicle, but he took off "in a reckless manner." He refused to pull over when police tried to initiate a traffic stop and committed multiple traffic violations while he traveled through the city at a high rate of speed, according to police.
It could not be determined Wednesday if police had spoken to Reams at all before he took off.
'Shot was fired'
In the area of Chestnut Street (Route 61 south) and Front Street (Route 147), the suspect's vehicle struck two Sunbury Police Department vehicles and the suspect attempted to strike a city officer with his car, police said. "A shot was fired at the suspect where the suspect was struck," the report states.
Reams' car came to rest a short distance north of there in the park, not far from the intersection of Front and Market streets.
It appeared the right front tire of the suspect's vehicle, a small, silver, four-door sedan, was flat or low on air, and there was damage to the rear bumper.
It could not be determined Wednesday how bad the damage was to the police cars.
Front Street was closed while police investigated. It didn't reopen until 7:50 a.m., according to PennDOT.