West Chester man charged with attempted murder after shooting at cops during mental health call, police say
William McGillan shot at two officers Sunday, and one returned his fire, authorities said. No one was injured in the chaotic encounter.
A West Chester man scaled the roof of his home and shot at police officers who were responding to calls to help him during a mental health crisis, according to court documents filed this week.
William McGillan Jr., 24, has been charged with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, reckless endangerment, and related crimes in connection with the chaotic scene Sunday, during which authorities say a West Chester police officer shot back at him.
McGillan remains in custody, denied bail, after a judge ruled that he presents “a danger to himself and others,” court records show. There was no indication he had hired an attorney.
Neither McGillan nor the officers was struck by gunfire, prosecutors said, though one officer was treated for a head injury he sustained while diving for cover during the shootout.
The investigation into the shooting remains active and is being handled by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.
Police were called to McGillan’s home on South Church Street around 9 a.m. Sunday, when an Uber driver who had dropped him off there said he had made “suicidal statements,” and believed someone should check on him, according to the affidavit of probable cause for McGillan’s arrest.
Two officers arrived not long afterward, spoke to McGillan for 10 minutes, and cleared the call, the document said.
Hours later, just before 3 p.m., police received another call about McGillan from the Valley Creek Crisis Center, asking that they assist with an involuntary commitment, the affidavit said.
McGillan answered the officers’ knocks at his door, but then ran back inside his apartment. He fired at West Chester Police Sgt. David Hammond and Cpl. Andrew Hill with a Ruger .380 handgun that was registered to him, and continued to shoot as the two officers ran back into the hallway for cover, the affidavit said.
Hill shot back at McGillan as he pulled Hammond, who was injured while diving down a nearby staircase, to safety outside the apartment building, according to the document.
McGillan climbed onto the roof of his apartment and ran across several adjoining roofs before being taken into custody. He threw his handgun away as he fled, but the weapon was later recovered by investigators, authorities said.
The shooting was recorded on the officers’ body-worn cameras, and the evidence has been preserved for the district attorney’s investigation.
McGillan is scheduled to appear before a district judge for a preliminary hearing on Friday. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Chester County District Attorney’s Office at 610-344-6866.