Police tape surrounded the Fountain Hill Pharmacy on Broadway Christmas morning, in the wake of an attempted burglary that reportedly put police and other lives in danger. According to reports, two suspects who were involved in a nearly two-hour standoff that began with an officer being fired upon. The suspects were taken into custody after a SWAT team and other tactical resources were deployed by various law enforcement agencies.
UPDATE: The shelter in place order issued for residents of Fountain Hill was lifted shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday, per Lehigh County 911. The Emergency Alerts County of Lehigh Facebook page reported that this occurred after two suspects were taken into custody by police. One of the two suspects was taken to a hospital, per the page’s post. As of Wednesday morning, Fountain Hill Pharmacy was surrounded by crime scene tape. A police SUV was parked alongside the building and a ladder leading to the roof was propped against the rear side, near Cherokee Street.
What should have been a silent night in Fountain Hill turned into an anxiety-filled Christmas Eve after police were reportedly fired upon after they responded to a burglary in progress at a drugstore Tuesday evening.
According to the Facebook page What’s Going On in the Lehigh Valley, police responded to the Fountain Hill Pharmacy at 1049 Broadway around 9 p.m. after a report of burglary in progress.
A resident reported hearing a loud percussion that he thought was the sound of fireworks around that time; however, according to reports, the sound was actually that of gunfire.
The What’s Going On in the Lehigh Valley and other posts indicated that the suspected burglars retreated back inside the closed pharmacy after firing at an officer who had arrived on scene.
Multiple police agencies from around the region responded to the incident, including Allentown Police, Bethlehem Police and Coopersburg Police. Numerous roads in the area were closed to traffic and a helicopter could be heard overhead in the area. Police drones were also deployed to monitor the scene of the standoff, where a SWAT team and other tactical resources were present.
Shortly after 9:30 p.m., Lehigh County 911 issued an automated phone call and email warning residents of the neighborhood to “shelter in place at this time” due to “an ongoing incident.”
“Updates will be given as needed,” it said.
The shelter in place order was lifted shortly after 10:30 p.m., with residents who are subscribed receiving phone, text and email alerts letting them know that it was safe to resume normal activity.
Note: This is a developing story. It may be updated as additional information is obtained.
A ladder rests against the back wall of the Fountain Hill Pharmacy, where a burglary and standoff with two suspects occurred on Christmas Eve. The incident drew a large police response and prompted a shelter in place order for much of the borough of Fountain Hill. The order was lifted shortly after 10:30 p.m., after police took the suspects into custody.
Police officers huddle near the intersection of N. Hoffert and Cherokee streets during a standoff that occurred at the Fountain Hill Pharmacy on Broadway on Christmas Eve. The nerve-rattling incident involved gunfire and ended with two suspects involved in the attempted burglary of the pharmacy being taken into custody by SWAT and other law enforcement personnel from the borough, Bethlehem, Allentown and other nearby jurisdictions.
