The man shot dead at a New Jersey Turnpike rest area yesterday was a junkie trying to run over a state trooper, investigators say.
Five undercover officers working a narcotics investigation believed they saw Christopher Angelo Pizzichetta, 46, of Lewes, Delaware, shooting up heroin in a parked truck at the Molly Pitcher Service Area just before 2:45 p.m. Thursday, according to a new report from the state attorney general.
They tried to take a closer look, but he moved his truck to the other side of the lot, which is in Cranberry Township near Exit 8 on the Turnpike.
Then cops cooked up a plan to confront Pizzichetta by blocking him in using three unmarked state police vehicles, including a Chevy Silverado.
But, once surrounded, Pizzichetta threw his truck into reverse and slammed into one of the patrol cars, then shifted into drive and plowed into the Silverado, which switched on lights and a siren during the ensuing pursuit, the AG’s report states.
Pizzichetta made a break for the highway on-ramp, but instead of getting on the Turnpike, he drove over a median and straight at a state trooper “who was wearing a holster and weapon and was clearly identifiable as a police officer,” the report states.
The officer fired several rounds through Pizzichetta’s windshield, striking him in the torso, officials said. Pizzichetta died at the scene, and no officers were hurt, though the trooper who shot Pizzichetta was taken to the hospital for evaluation, the report states.
Investigators found a syringe and empty glassine in Pizzichetta’s truck, along with other glassines that they believe contain heroin, according to officials.
The AG’s office is still investigating.