The New Castle County Police Department has identified the man fatally shot by an officer on Monday night as 22-year-old Andrew Edelmann and provided more information Tuesday about the shooting near Elsmere that also injured a 21-year-old woman.
Department spokesperson Sgt. Tracey Duffy said that officers had information that Edelmann was going to deliver a “quantity of illegal drugs” near Maryland and East Reamer avenues at about 7:30 p.m. Monday. She did not specify what that quantity was.
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Duffy said officers also knew Edelmann drove a Hyundai Santa Fe, which they found in the 7-Eleven parking lot on Maryland Avenue. County police tried to detain Edelmann as part of the drug investigation, but he “ignored their commands” and tried to escape, according to Duffy.
Edelmann then sped up his car, Duffy said, and drove in the direction of the officers, though she did not say how fast Edelmann was driving. A nearby officer fired his gun, hitting Edelmann and a woman in the passenger seat.
They were both taken to Christiana Hospital, where Duffy said Edelmann later died. The 21-year-old woman is still in the hospital with “non-life-threatening injuries,” according to police.
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Investigators from the Criminal Investigations Unit and the Delaware Department of Justice are investigating the shooting. As per police policy, the officer who fired the gun has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is conducted.
Anyone with information related to Monday’s police-involved shooting should contact Detective Lt. Justin Breslin of the agency’s criminal investigations unit at (302) 395-8110 or by email at Justin.Breslin@newcastlede.gov.
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
