A 21-year-old Milford man was killed during a shooting involving a Dewey Beach police officer early Saturday morning, according to Delaware State Police.
The Delaware State Homicide Unit is conducting a criminal investigation into the incident along with the Delaware Department of Justice Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust, according to officials.
Around 1:17 a.m., employees at The Starboard restaurant called the Dewey Beach Police Department and reported a man exiting the place with a gun, Master Cpl. Heather Pepper said in a press conference on Saturday.
When responding officers attempted to talk to the man on a sidewalk outside the restaurant he fled on foot southbound on the Coastal Highway, Pepper said. After chasing the man for three blocks, police lost sight of him, according to Pepper, and a search of the nearby area proved unsuccessful.
At 2:23 a.m., the Dewey Beach Police Department received another call from an employee at The Starboard, saying the “suspect” was back at the restaurant inside a “restricted only employee area,” Pepper said.
Two officers arrived at the restaurant and tried contacting the man in the outdoor tent area but fled once again, this time towards northbound Coastal Highway and then westbound on Saulsbury street towards an alley, according to Pepper.
During the foot chase, one of the officers fired at the man but he continued running, Pepper said. The officers later found him unconscious behind a commercial building in the 2100 block of Coastal Highway with a gunshot wound on his upper torso and a handgun nearby, according to Pepper.
The man was taken to Beebe Hospital where he was pronounced dead, Pepper said.
Police have not released any information on the officer involved in the shooting except that the officer was a one-and-half-year veteran. Identification of the deceased is pending notification to the next of kin, police said.
More information is expected to be released in the coming days, Pepper said in the press conference.
Delaware State Police news conference
None of the Starboard staff and team members were involved in the shooting and are “all safe,” the restaurant said in a statement on Facebook.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to those involved,” they said. The restaurant is currently open for business.
There was “increased police presence” in the area and Saulsbury Street near Coastal Highway was closed.
Police noted there “is no threat to the safety of the community.”
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Saulsbury Street near Coastal Highway is flanked on one side by Izzy Plaza, which houses some stores on the bottom floor. On the other side is The Starboard, which was kicking off its “reopening” weekend alongside St. Patrick’s Day festivities that have been ongoing since Thursday.
It’s not uncommon for Delaware State Police to assist smaller beach town police departments with investigations and police presence, especially during special events and the summer months.
This is a developing story. Check back with Delaware Online for more details.
