Girl, 12, shot by police during eviction

“[Meyer] put the constable in a situation where he had to make a decision to use deadly force, and he did, and now we have this tragedy”, Trooper Rob Hicks of the Pennsylvania State Police told KFOR sister station WPMT.

The girl’s death happened after Constable Clark Steele traveled to the family’s apartment, Monday at 10am where he sought to serve a court ordered eviction order when the constable was confronted by the girl’s father. Police said Meyer opened the door and shut it. He then reopened the door and exchanged words with the constable before leveling a loaded.

Police said Steele, who was in uniform, quickly removed his. 40 caliber service weapon and shot Meyer once in the arm.

Tragically, Ciara Meyer was only at home at the time of the shocking incident because she was off school sick. He was flown to Hershey Medical Center for treatment after Monday’s shooting in Perry County. In the meantime, the little girl’s father has now been charged with aggravated assault, making threats, simple assault and endangering another person, police said.

Bill Stoeffler, a Dauphin County constable who speaks for others in the area, says Meyer is distraught and says it was “absolutely not intentional” that the girl was shot. Stoeffler said on Wednesday that Steele had no other option when faced with Meyer aiming a shotgun at him on Monday.

Police were serving an eviction order to Meyer, who reportedly owed $1,780.85 in a landlord-tenant dispute. “It’s terrible, absolutely heartbreaking”.

The girl has been identified as Ciara Meyer, NBC News reports.

“Very kind, sweet kid“, the neighbor said of the victim.

Pennsylvania constables are not police officers but elected officials. He is being held without bond in jail and he has a preliminary hearing scheduled on Friday. According to People, Mr. Meyer’s rifle was found with a magazine that contained 30 rounds of bullets as well as a loaded chamber.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help in the child’s name to help the family pay for funeral arrangements.

Perry County District Attorney Andrew Bender said the investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and that it is too early to say if Steele’s actions were appropriate.

“Procedures are in place across the district to address potential impacts of this incident to our students and staff”, superintendent Kent Smith said in a statement.