A police officer was justified in shooting a suspect in catalytic converter thefts who allegedly tried to hit an officer with a car before crashing into a police cruiser during a chase, the Berks County District Attorney said.

On July 14, Tyvan Barnett, of Allentown, refused to comply with all police commands and intentionally drove a vehicle toward officers before crashing into an occupied marked police cruiser, Berks County District Attorney John Adams said.

The officer who shot at Barnett and wounded him “was reasonable in his belief that he and the other officers were in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury ... Therefore, the officer’s use of force under these circumstances was reasonable and therefore privileged under Pennsylvania law,” Adams said. “The actions taken by the officer involved was for protecting himself and his fellow officers.”

Adams did not release the officer’s name.

Barnett, 25, is facing 10 charges, including three counts of aggravated assault with attempted seriously bodily injury. Barnett was treated for his wound and is being held on $175,000 bail, according to court records.

Barnett has a fleeing case from March in South Whitehall Township, and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Lehigh County next week. An attorney has not entered an appearance for Barnett in either case.

The night of the shooting, Reading police received multiple calls about three males trying to steal catalytic converters from vehicles parked near the 2000 block of South Fifth Street.

When police arrived at the scene, one of the males was seen holding a saw and/ or car jack, the district attorney said.

The three suspects fled in a black Honda Accord, which police followed through the city. The car’s headlights were off and the driver hit speeds of 100 mph, according to authorities.

The Honda traveled on Route 422 before exiting onto Route 12, where it came to a stop after entering a dead-end roadway, according to police.

The officers got out of their marked vehicles and gave commands, Adams said, but Barnett allegedly sped toward one of the officers and another officer fired his duty weapon two times at Barnett.

The shots entered the driver’s side door of the Honda, but the car continued moving and hit one of the police vehicles before it became disabled due to damage in the 4000 block of River Road in Muhlenberg Township, prosecutors said.

Barnett was shot in his upper left thigh and police applied a tourniquet before he was taken to Tower Health–Reading Hospital for treatment, prosecutors said.

The two passengers were taken into custody.

One of the passengers was identified as Ejau Collazo, 18. He is facings charges of criminal attempt to commit theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and conspiracy, authorities said.

Police said they found seven catalytic converters, a two-ton profile floor jack and a reciprocating saw in the Honda.

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Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.

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