Pennsylvania State Police have released dramatic dashcam video of the shootout on Route 33 that seriously injured Pennsylvania State Trooper Seth Kelly in 2017. The suspect Daniel Clary was convicted of attempted murder in May.
Clary was stopped by police and was clearly unstable on his feet during several sobriety tests. When the troopers try to arrest Clary, he resists and they wrestle him to the ground. Clary attempts to fight back. At one point, the fight spills out onto the road with traffic driving by. Police tried to use a taser on Clary but he gets up and reaches into the driver’s side window of his car. The video shows Clary firing the gun multiple times at both Trooper Sieple and Trooper Kelly. Both officers return fire and Clary drives away.
Trooper Kelly was shot four times during the exchange of gunfire. He arrived at a local hospital clinically dead. He spent 12 days in a medically-induced coma and 25 days in the hospital. Clary, 22, of Effort, Pa., was convicted June 29 of multiple felonies, including attempting to kill Seiple and Kelly.
Director of Training for SAFETAC Training and lead trainer of #Seconds4Survival, Travis Yates, says that this encounter shows how difficult and violent law enforcement interactions can be and it is exactly why training must be the number one priority of our agencies.
Yates told us that “These troopers conducted themselves in a heroic fashion and never gave up the fight” and he points out several behaviors by the suspect that no doubt told the troopers that the worse could be coming.
Yates said “to never let your guard down when dealing with drug or alcohol induced suspects.” He said that they might act a little slow or confused but that cannot be mistaken for not dangerous and this video shows just how dangerous they can be.
Also, “the longer an encounter goes on, the longer the fight or struggle goes on, the more dangerous the situation becomes,” and when the suspect reached into the car, “I think both officers knew what was about to occur” Yates said.
“We have seen it so many times and it happens so quick, all of law enforcement needs to understand that defying commands, fighting officers and reaching into a car or pocket is about as dangerous as it comes. Law Enforcement has suffered the consequences from the media hype that “unarmed” means not dangerous and this suspect did not start armed with a weapon and he was as dangerous as they come.”
Yates concluded by praising the troopers in the video. “It is really remarkable how well law enforcement is doing considering the constant criticism by those that know little about the actual job. This incident is why we train and why we must not listen to the echoes and cries from those that make demands that place us in more danger than we already are.”
Yates’ popular course, #Seconds4Survival is available through our partner, SAFETAC Training, and I highly recommend it.
“It took me 53 years in law enforcement to attend a class like this.” Deputy Jerry Koester
“This training that will save your life and you must have it!” Todd, Oakland Police Department
“The best presentation I have had in over 22 years in law enforcement.” Sgt. Michael Huber, McMinnville Police Department
