Pottstown man fatally shot after allegedly firing at police is ID’d
Officials said Jonathan Lee Adams ignored officers' commands to drop his weapon and shot at the officers, who returned fire.
A Pottstown man was killed Friday night after engaging in a gun battle with borough police, officials said.
Officers went to a home on King Street near Gabe Street just before 8:30 p.m. after three separate 911 callers reported hearing “someone yelling and screaming” there, according to a statement Saturday from Pottstown Police Chief Michael Markovich.
The officers found the front door open, and no one answered when they announced they were outside. When the officers walked into the residence, Jonathan Lee Adams, 31, was at the top of a nearby staircase, holding a handgun, according to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele.
Adams, who lives at the residence with his girlfriend, pointed the gun at the officers and ignored their commands to drop the weapon, Steele said. He then fired at the officers, who shot back.
After the initial gunfire, the officers walked into another room, and Adams followed them, firing at them. The officers shot again, hitting him several times, Markovich said.
Medics took Adams to Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. Officers recovered a 9mm Glock handgun from the scene. The firearm was registered to Adams’ girlfriend — he was not legally allowed to own a firearm due to a prior felony conviction, according to Steele.
Court records show that Adams pleaded guilty to robbery of a vehicle, a first-degree felony, in Philadelphia in 2009. His criminal record also includes convictions for reckless endangerment, driving under the influence, and drug possession.
The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office will handle the investigation because of the police-involved shooting.