Yardley police chief recovering from gunshot wounds

Yardley Borough Police Chief Joseph D. Kelly III is recovering and planning an eventual return to work after being wounded in an Aug. 18 shooting incident at Yardley Commons Condominiums in the borough.
According to information from the Bucks County District Attorney’s office, Kelly was assisting county adult probation/parole officer Cristina Viviano with an offender check on Colin Frank Petroziello, 24, when Petroziello allegedly fired a shotgun blast through the front door of his unit, wounding Kelly in a hand and ear.
Kelly and Viviano had knocked on the door and identified themselves as law enforcement officers, authorities said.
After the chief radioed for help, Petroziello barricaded himself inside with his mother, refusing to allow her to leave. She was eventually able to take the Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun from her son when he fell asleep, tossed it out a window and then escaped through the same window.
The four-hour standoff ended with Petroziello being arrested and taken into custody. He is in Bucks County Prison without bail, and has been charged with attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, two counts of attempted murder, six counts of aggravated assault and one count each of assault of a law enforcement officer, false imprisonment, recklessly endangering another person and possession of an instrument of crime.
Kelly was treated at St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown Township. There were no other injuries as the result of the incident, authorities said.

“The luckiest person today is Chief Joseph Kelly,” Bucks County DA Matt Weintraub said. “Next are his family and then it’s a tie; it’s all of us that the police selflessly serve and protect without regard to their own public safety, every damn day.”
Also recovered in Petroziello’s condo were a loaded .45-caliber handgun and brass knuckles, the DA said. A background check revealed Petroziello had twice been involuntarily committed for mental health issues and was ineligible to possess a firearm under Pennsylvania law, authorities added.
Kelly became Yardley Borough’s police chief in January of 2015 after 23 years with the New Jersey Transit Police, where he retired as a deputy chief.
“We’re all glad to hear the chief is doing well and plans to come back to work at some point,” Yardley Borough Council President David Bria said. “The mayor, council and entire community are proud of our chief and stand behind him. Yardley was lucky that this was not worse.”
Bucks County detectives are leading the investigation. Also responding to the incident and aiding with the investigation are police from Yardley Borough and Lower Makefield and Newtown townships, state police and the South Central Bucks County Emergency Response Team. First Assistant DA Jennifer Schorn has been assigned to prosecute the case against Petroziello.

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