New Kensington Police and a SWAT team descended on a home near the intersection of Catalpa Street and Leishman Avenue on Sunday morning, with officers using a megaphone to repeatedly order residents to come out with their hands raised. Hours later, the reason behind the show of force still hadn't been made public.
According to a Westmoreland County 911 official who spoke with WPXI, police responded to the home on Leishman Avenue and Catalpa Street after 9:30 a.m. The official would only describe it as a “police incident” and offered no further details on what prompted the response.
Officers could be heard over a megaphone repeatedly telling residents to exit the home with their hands in the air, according to WTAE. It wasn't clear from the scene whether police were calling for a single person to come out or addressing multiple people believed to be inside.
Drone, Flash Bang, Then an Empty-Handed SWAT Team
WPXI's crew on scene reported that police sent a drone into the air before the SWAT team moved in, entering the home with a flash bang. The station reported that when SWAT members emerged, they came back outside without a suspect in custody.
Westmoreland County Dispatch had not confirmed why New Kensington Police and SWAT were in the area, per the same WTAE report. That left basic questions about the operation unanswered even as the standoff played out in front of neighbors and news crews.
Scene Remained Active as Reporting Continued
WTAE said the scene was still active at the time its article was published Sunday. No arrests, injuries, or official explanation for the deployment had been confirmed by either outlet as the situation continued to unfold in Westmoreland County.
