Former Perryopolis borough councilman fatally shot by police
A former Perryopolis borough councilman man was shot and killed by police after sending texts about harming himself and refusing to drop his weapon Friday night, police said.
The fatal shooting began as a welfare check for the man, Garrett Judson Hoose, 47, at his 206 Constitution St. house. Perryopolis police were called at about 6 p.m. after he sent “alarming texts” to several family members, state police said. One officer, who was not identified, responded to the scene.
State police in Belle Vernon and the Fayette County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the shooting. The officer is on leave until the investigation concludes, said State Police Trooper Robert Broadwater.
Hoose refused to put his gun down multiple times, according to the state police account. The Perryopolis police officer used deadly force “in fear of death or serious bodily injury,” according to state police. Broadwater said it was not determined if Hoose pointed or brandished the gun, or how many shots the officer fired.
Perryopolis police were called to the home for the first time on Wednesday after Hoose sent texts to his family threatening to harm himself. The borough police department responded to the residence, but could not locate Hoose, prompting them to put Frazier School District on lockdown, said Broadwater. He said Hoose did not have a mental health diagnosis or criminal history.
“This guy was really clean. It was an unfortunate incident,” he said.
Neighbors described Hoose as a good man and a good neighbor. Barbara Rebovich, who lives next door, said he often helped her when she was sick. She fell in her house several times, and he always came to pick her up. When she was suffering from leg problems, she said he carried her from her car to her house.
“Heck, he always helped me out,” she said Saturday afternoon.
She said she heard a noise Friday evening that she thought was someone knocking on the door. When she learned what happened, she was shocked.
She looked down at the ground for several seconds, leaning heavily on her screen door, and slowly shook her head.
“I never dreamt that, I’ll tell ya,” she said. “I’m still sick about it.”
The Hoose home sits on a quiet street lined with tidy, green lawns and well-kept homes. Little separates the Hooses’ orderly home from the neighbors’ inviting houses, save a sign advertising Hoose’s auto-body shop. Porch lights left on during the day were the only indication of distress from the outside.
Sam Vidnovich, who lives across the street, said he did not suspect trouble leading up to the shooting.
“He was an ordinary guy,” he said. “Didn’t seem to have a problem with anybody. I never expected something like that would happen.”
Other neighbors, who asked not to be identified, described Hoose as a hardworking man who ran his own business, a person who was active in the community and a helpful neighbor.
Hoose, a Democrat, served on the Perryopolis Borough Council beginning in 2006 and ending when he lost the bid for an additional term during the 2015 election. Hoose also served on the police committee, which he described as his most important role as a councilman in a Herald-Standard article prior to the 2015 primary.
“Public safety should always be a priority in our community,” he was quoted as saying in the article.
In 2015, he posed with Perryopolis police and other council members after the police department received a new vehicle, which was dedicated to fallen police officer Richard A. Champion.
Hoose held a master’s degree in social work. He and his wife had one son, who is 18.
Fayette County District Attorney Rich Bower said he will make a determination in the case and did not make additional comment.
An autopsy was completed by the Fayette County coroner. Results were not available Saturday afternoon.
Perryopolis police did not return a call seeking comment.