At approximately 2:15 p.m. the Berks County Department of Emergency Services received a 911 call from a woman, reporting a man with a knife. She said he had threatened her, and the phone call disconnected. Muhlenberg Township police to a home and entered the residence. The woman said that Stephen James Hughes, with a knife, locked himself inside a second floor bedroom. Hughes brandished a knife, and one officer reportedly deployed his Taser to no effect. A second officer shot and killed Hughes.
Agency: Muhlenberg Township Police Department
Motive: Person with a knife
Confrontation Type: Person with a Weapon (knife)
Service Call: Yes
Body Camera: no
Official Disposition: Pending investigation
Victim Name: Stephen James Hughes
Death Date: March 15, 2021
County: Berks
Geography: Suburban
Gender: Male
Age: 62
Race: Unknown race
Cause of Death: Gunshot, Taser
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: No
Armed: Allegedly Armed
Weapon: knife
Threat Level: other
Fleeing: not fleeing
Washington Post Database ID: 6704