The Sentinel reports Ciara Meyer, a student at Susquenita Middle School in Duncannon, Perry County, was a bystander during an alleged altercation between her father, 57-year-old Donald Meyer, and police in Penn Township. Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) said Donald Meyer shut the door on constable Clarke Steele, who was attempting to serve him with an eviction order, and then returned with a .223 caliber rifle.
According to a PSP statement, Meyer “re-opened the door and engaged Constable Steele in a brief exchange of words, and then leveled a loaded .223 caliber rifle, which had been slung and concealed along his body, directly at Constable Steele with a point of aim at his chest.”
“Constable Steele, who was in uniform, quickly removed his .40 caliber duty weapon from its holster and fired a single round striking the suspect in his upper left arm,” the statement continued. “The bullet traveled through the suspect’s arm and struck the suspect’s 12-year-old daughter, who was standing directly behind her father. The suspect was flown to the Hershey Medical Center, where he is undergoing medical care. The suspect’s daughter was pronounced dead at the scene.”
WGAL reports Donald Meyer is facing charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person.
Ciara Meyer’s uncle told ABC 27 that his niece was “a wonderful girl” who was “full of life.”
A neighbor, who said her daughter and Ciara played together, called the girl’s death “heartbreaking.”
“Very kind, sweet kid,” the neighbor told ABC 27. “Here’s a little girl that doesn’t even have a chance to grow up and live her life, and all because of this senseless act. It’s horrible, absolutely heartbreaking.”
Last year, US police killed nearly 1,000 people across the nation, about 90 of whom were unarmed.
