Barricaded man with machete and hatchet shot by Upper Perkiomen police officer, Montco district attorney says

Montgomery County detectives are investigating the fatal police shooting of a man who was armed with a machete and a hatchet and barricaded himself in the basement of an East Greenville home, according to prosecutors.

In a statement released Sunday, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele said East Greenville police responded to a domestic violence call in the 100 block of Cherry Street shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday. The caller was an 18-year-old reporting a physical assault, Steele said.

Officers said a man barricaded himself in the basement of the home and threatened to harm them, Steele said. With additional police from multiple departments on the scene, numerous attempts were made to negotiate with the man, Steele said.

At 11:30 p.m., police broke down the basement door and found the man armed with a machete and a hatchet, Steele said. He charged at police and refused to drop the weapon. The statement did not say what weapon the man was carrying.

An officer used a Taser to stop the man, but an Upper Perkiomen officer shot him, Steele said. Despite medical aid from officers, the man died at the scene at 12:05 a.m. Sunday, Steele said.

The names of the officer and the man have not been released. Per protocol for an officer-involved shooting, the investigation is being handled by county detectives.