LOWER SAUCON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Northampton County District Attorney’s Office has determined that a Pennsylvania State Police Special Emergency Response Team trooper was justified in the fatal shooting of an armed Lower Saucon Township man following a more than three-hour standoff last month.
The incident began on the morning of March 25 when officers were called to the 2400 block of Applebutter Road for a welfare check involving 37-year-old Andrew W. Krasnansky, who was reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis. Emergency call logs indicated that Krasnansky was brandishing a firearm at the time of the initial response.
According to authorities, Krasnansky was on the phone with his psychiatrist and making statements alluding to self-harm when he began firing shots from inside the home. The gunfire prompted local police to call in the Pennsylvania State Police Special Emergency Response Team.
During the initial response, a Lower Saucon Township Police officer exchanged gunfire with Krasnansky, though neither was struck. SERT troopers then established a perimeter around the residence. As the standoff stretched into the afternoon, a SERT member encountered Krasnansky outside the home and fired, striking him.
Krasnansky was transported to St. Luke’s University Hospital in Fountain Hill, where he was pronounced dead at 2:45 p.m. The Lehigh County Coroner’s Office confirmed his death was the result of gunshot wounds. An autopsy was performed the following day.
At the height of the standoff, Northampton County Emergency Management Services issued a shelter-in-place advisory for all residents within a half-mile of the scene, urging people to stay away from doors and windows. That order was lifted once the scene was secured. No other injuries were reported.
Krasnansky, a 2007 graduate of Saucon Valley High School, had been a resident of Lower Saucon Township. Neighbors described him as a friendly man who helped those around him.
Following a thorough review of the evidence, the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office concluded that the SERT trooper’s use of deadly force was legally justified under the circumstances. No criminal charges will be filed against the trooper.
The Pennsylvania State Police Troop M Major Case Team led the investigation with assistance from the Northampton County District Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies.
