Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
A man dealing with severe mental illness entered a plea of no contest relating to shooting Yardley Borough’s police chief, nearly striking a Bucks County Adult Probation and Parole Department officer, and engaging in an hours-long standoff with a tactical team.
Colin Petroziello, 25, of Yardley Borough, entered the open plea before Bucks County Common Pleas Court President Judge Wallace Bateman Thursday afternoon at the Justice Center. Through his attorney, Charles Peruto, Petroziello pleaded no contest while mentally ill to attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, two counts of attempted murder, six counts of aggravated assault, and one count each of assault of a law enforcement officer, persons not to possess a firearm, false imprisonment, recklessly endangering another person, and possession of an instrument of crime.
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A no contest plea, also known as a nolo contendere plea, is when a defendent waives a trial, doesn’t contest the charges, and is willing to accept punishment at sentencing. The plea does not mean the defendant is admitting guilt.
Bateman ordered a presentence investigation to be conducted and delayed sentencing for 90 days. Due to a Bucks County probation officer being involved, the Lehigh County Adult Probation and Parole Department will complete the presentence investigation.
Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office
First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said they will delve more into Petroziello’s actions and his intoxication on the day of the shooting at the upcoming sentencing.
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Yardley Borough police Chief Joe Kelly suffered shotgun blast injuries to his left hand and and one ear and Bucks County Adult Probation and Parole Department Officer Christina Viviano, who was standing next to Kelly and narrowly escaped being struck by buckshot, authorities said.
Viviano arrived to Petroziello’s unit in the Yardley Commons Complex around 11 a.m. on August 18, 2021. She heard yelling and the slamming of doors, which led her to request police to assist her. Right after Kelly arrived and knocked on the door, announcing law enforcement was outside, the shotgun blast came through the door, according to authorities.
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Kelly and Viviano took cover as additional officers rushed to the scene. Kelly went to the hospital after other officers took charge and a tactical team engaged in a roughly four-hour-long standoff with Petroziello.
Petroziello’s mother was in the apartment when the shooting happened, but she escaped with tactical team officers assisting.
About an hour before tactical officers made entry to the condo and found Petroziello unconscious in a bedroom, the SWAT team used an explosive to breach a door.
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In total, 19 police agencies, including several from the Levittown area, responded to the shooting and standoff call. In addition to local agencies, federal and New Jersey law enforcement were at the scene assisting.
In court on Thursday, it was revealed Petroziello’s mom had been in contact with Viviano shortly before the shooting via text message but didn’t inform her that her son was armed and intoxicated, Shorn said, while noting the district attorney’s office doesn’t plan to charge the man’s mother.
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Before Bateman during the plea, Petroziello said he was on prescribed medications and understood what was happening in court.
Shorn pointed out the bravery of Kelly and Viviano, who acted professionally in the moment.
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Kelly needed surgery to his hand to remove more than a dozen pieces of buckshot, and he still suffers limited mobility of that hand due to the injury.
After court, Guy Petreoziello said his son was autistic and has suffered from Asperger’s syndrome, depression, and other mental health challenges since he was a boy.
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Guy Petreoziello said his son is getting proper treatment in the correctional facility and is on five medications. The treatment and medication has made him a much different person than he was at the time of the shooting.
“He thought there were men following him with guns. He thought they were going to take him,” Guy Petreoziello said, recounting encounters in the weeks before the shooting where his son believe he was being stalked. “He really believed it.”
To help their son have normalcy, the Petreoziellos co-signed for their son’s Yardley Borough condo where the incident took place and talked to him daily. Since middle school, he suffered from bullying and mental health problems. Guy Petreoziello said his son had struggled to maintain jobs and friendships, and the condo in the borough was an effort to give him a safe living space and to save him from “ending up on the street.”
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Colin Petreoziello had never met the probation officer before and was being seen for a past domestic incident with his father. He also had a pending DUI case out of Philadelphia.
Colin Petreoziello’s family was in the courtroom, as were police and probation officers. The 25-year-old defendant was led in and out of court by sheriff’s deputies, as he remains in custody until sentencing.
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Kelly said he would hold back comment until after sentencing.
Guy Petreoziello acknowledged his son has been facing serious charges.
“My hope is he lands in a place where he can get help,” he said.
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