Washington County coroner reviews evidence in fatal police shooting of Coraopolis man
Jon Andreassi/Observer-Reporter
Attorney Timothy Uhrich (left) questions Deputy Coroner Matthew Yancosek about the scene where Eduardo Hoover Jr. was shot and killed by police.
Jon Andreassi/Observer-Reporter
Timothy Uhrich (seated) called witnesses and presented evidence at Tuesday’s inquest into the death of Eduardo Lee Hoover Jr. The 38-year-old was shot by police following a nearly 20-minute pursuit on April 2.
A lawyer conducting an inquest into the death of a Coraopolis man earlier this year appeared to question the events as they were described by police.
Eduardo Lee Hoover Jr., 38, was shot and killed by police following a nearly 20-minute pursuit from Burgettstown to Washington on April 2. District Attorney Jason Walsh later found that officers were justified in using deadly force.
Washington County Coroner Timothy Warco convened an inquest Tuesday to determine precisely how Hoover died, and if anyone should be held criminally liable. The inquest was run by Timothy Uhrich, the solicitor for the Pennsylvania State Coroners Association.
Five police officers were subpoenaed to testify, including Mt. Pleasant Township Police Chief Matthew Tharp and Smith Township Police Chief Bernie LaRue; however, on Oct. 20, a judge quashed the subpoena at the request of the officers’ lawyer. Members of both departments were part of the pursuit.
Uhrich presented footage from the police vehicle cameras and body cameras that showed three law enforcement agencies box in Hoover’s pick-up truck in the 1000 block of Jefferson Avenue in Washington.
Stopped in front of Hoover was Smith Township officer Michael Pasquale, with Mt. Pleasant officer Tyler Evans behind him. A vehicle from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department pulled up along the driver’s side.
Footage showed Hoover back up and hit Evans’ vehicle. He then pulled forward and almost immediately hit a utility pole. Shots can be heard shortly after.
Uhrich read from a state police report that detailed interviews with both Pasquale and Evans. Pasquale told investigators that he fired four shots toward the engine of Hoover’s vehicle in an attempt to disable it, and Evans said that he fired toward the driver’s seat headrest as Hoover went into reverse, fearing that Hoover would kill him or another officer.
Uhrich contended that Evans’ version of events is at odds with the footage, as it is not completely clear that Hoover began moving in reverse when Evans fired his weapon.
According to Uhrich, Hoover suffered two gunshot wounds to the head and neck. A toxicology report showed his blood-alcohol content at the time of the incident was 0.279, above the legal limit of 0.08.
Present at the inquest was Eduardo Hoover Sr., Hoover’s father. He lamented the events of April 2, and blamed officers for escalating the situation. He said he did not agree with Walsh’s conclusion that it was a, “justified homicide.”
“All homicide is without justice,” Hoover Sr. said.
He described his son as a, “great family man,” and said in recent years he struggled heavily with alcoholism and mental health issues.
“(Eduardo Hoover Jr.) should still be alive, even if that life be in chains. I wish I could still speak with him,” Hoover Sr. said.
The inquest will resume at 10 a.m. Thursday.