According to a press release from the Montgomery County Coroner Dr. Janine Darby, M.D., the man who died as a result of a shot from police early Sunday morning was Gabriel Diaz, 55, of East Greenville.
As previously covered by our news group, first responders reported to the 100 block of Cherry Street in East Greenville Saturday night just after 8 p.m., according to police. A physical altercation was going on between a father and son, said reports. The 18-year-old son called emergency dispatch, according to a release from the Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele, and the father, Diaz, then barricaded himself in the basement of the family’s home.
Police said he’d threatened law enforcement and was armed with a machete and a hatchet. After several hours of negotiating with the man, Steele said that police breached the basement door. Finding him armed, police first tried to taze the charging Diaz, but that did not slow him, police said.
At that time, an Upper Perk police officer discharged his firearm, shooting Diaz. He was pronounced dead at the scene just after midnight early Sunday morning.
At 2:50 a.m., according to Darby, the coroner’s office was notified of the officer-involved shooting which resulted in Diaz’s death. A supervisor deputy and transporter responded to the scene around 3:30 a.m., said Darby’s release, which was provided to media Monday evening.
Darby’s Coroner’s Office is charged with identifying the deceased, ensuring that the legal next-of-kin is notified of the death, and determining the cause and manner of death through investigation, examination, and forensic testing, said the release.
Diaz’s cause of death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds, one in the chest and one in the shoulder. The manner of his death is a homicide.
As an officer-related shooting was involved in the incident, Montgomery County detectives will continue an investigation in the matter. There is no word yet on the name of the officer that shot Diaz, nor if there will be any related charges in the matter.
