Bucks County authorities confirmed the identity of the Levittown man who was shot by a Bensalem Township police officer on Saturday evening after he allegedly threatened a motorist with his handgun
John Mathis, 44, the District Attorney’s office confirmed, is the man who was shot following an alleged road rage incident that ended on Bristol Pike in Bensalem Township.
Mathis, who has a lengthy arrest and conviction record, was taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital in Philadelphia where he remained hospitalized in stable condition as of late Monday, authorities said.
Bucks County Detectives are investigating the shooting. District Attorney Jennifer Schorn will determine if the shooting was justified, the DA’s office said.
According to Bensalem authorities, they received a 911 call from a motorist who stated that a male on a motorcycle pointed a gun at him on Bristol Pike near the intersection of Biddle Lane. Police were advised that the motorcycle was still following the victim northbound on Bristol Pike.
Bensalem Public Safety Director William McVey on Bristol Pike after Saturday nights incident Credit: Jeff Bohen Lower Bucks Source
A Bensalem officer was in the area and caught up to them at Bristol Pike and Appleton Avenue, where the two vehicles were stopped in traffic. The officer pulled his vehicle between the complainant’s car and the motorcycle and exited the patrol vehicle. As the officer came around the rear of his vehicle, the motorcyclist was on foot with a gun in his right hand. The officer issued commands, but the motorcyclist did not comply. The Bensalem officer discharged his weapon and struck him; he fell to the ground.
Officials confirmed Mathis was shot three times; two gunshot wounds to his left shoulder blade area and one to his right armpit area.
Mathis has a lengthy arrest and conviction record in Bucks County, authorities said, with several open cases.
An aggravated assault while DUI case in Bristol Township is pending trial. He is pending sentencing for receiving stolen property from a phone store in Bristol Borough, receiving stolen property from a truck in Lower Southampton, a fleeing incident in Middletown and has two open state violation cases for theft by unlawful taking and retail theft, Schorn said.
Mathis, the DA’s office said, has repeatedly violated his release conditions, such as cutting off his GPS tracker. This resulted in his bail being revoked late last week and bench warrants were issued for his arrest in connection with the outstanding cases.
In addition, the Bristol Township Police Department issued an active arrest warrant for Mathis in connection with a separate road rage incident on July 27. In that case, authorities said, Mathis is alleged to have intentionally caused two collisions, then exited his vehicle with a baseball bat and struck the driver’s side door and front windshield of the other vehicle before fleeing the scene.
In accordance with the established protocol, all police-involved shootings in Bucks County are investigated by county detectives and reviewed by the District Attorney. The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave, per department policy, Schorn said.
Credit: Jeff Bohen Lower Bucks Source
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