Indiana man fired at police, killed in Hazleton standoff
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Police officers take aim at a stopped tractor trailer behind the Beech Street skating rink on June 29, 2020.
HAZLETON, Luzerne County – State Police released the name of the man killed in a standoff in this city Monday.
Troopers said Wade Russell Meisberger, 48, of Whiteland, Indiana, wanted by U.S. Marshals on a homicide probation violation, was shot and killed late Monday after firing at police in a three-hour standoff at the Beech Street hockey rink.
Meisberger was released in 2015 to to serve the remainder of a 1993 murder conviction on probation.
According to State Police at Hazleton, U.S. Marshals were attempting to locate Meisberger on a homicide probation violation.
Marshals attempted to stop a tractor trailer on the I-81 Frackville ramp, and the truck stopped.
The driver of the truck, who was unidentified, exited the vehicle, though Meisberger remained in the truck and fled.
State Police from Frackville and Hazleton joined the pursuit, which traveled along I-81 and through the McAdoo, Hazleton city, and points between. According to radio transmissions, Meisberger pointed a firearm at officers during the pursuit.
Officers made several attempts to disable the tractor-trailer, all of which failed.
The pursuit came to a conclusion when Meisberger drove the truck into a grassy area behind the Beech Street skating rink, where the truck became stopped.
Officers from Hazleton, West Hazleton, Butler Township (Luzerne County), and Weatherly arrived to assist troopers and marshals in establishing a perimeter.
A Shelter-In-Place order was issued for the surrounding Hazleton Housing Authority neighborhood, and a Special Emergency Response Team was brought in, along with a Bearcat and armored dozer.
Flashbangs and gunfire could be heard during the standoff. At one point, bullets ricocheted up Beech Street, forcing authorities to move the media staging area for the safety of reporters at the scene.
Troopers confirmed via the media release Meisberger had fired upon them, and was killed when authorities fired back.
The incident remains under investigation by the State Police and Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office.
Troop N – Hazleton extended thanks to community members impacted by the incident via evacuations or shelter-in-place orders for their patience and understanding.
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