Yardley man pleads no contest to shooting police chief during a standoff last summer

A Yardley man pleaded no contest Thursday in court to shooting the borough police chief during a standoff last summer.

Colin Petroziello, 25, entered the plea to the shooting of Yardley Police Chief Joe Kelly, who was injured by the blast as he accompanied a probation officer to the man's Yardley Commons home on Aug. 18, 2021.

Judge Wallace Bateman Jr. said during the hearing that an evaluation by a doctor determined that Petroziello lacked the mental capacity to comprehend that his behavior was wrongful that day.

Schorn said in court that Petroziello was going to enter a guilty but mentally ill plea because of mental illness and intoxication during the incident, however, Petroziello opted for a no contest plea instead, meaning he did not admit guilt in the case.

Petroziello had been charged with felony attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer and other related charges. He pleaded no contest to all charges, meaning he did not admit guilt in the crime, but acknowledged that the prosecution has enough evidence to convict should the case go to trial.

He's been jailed without bail since the shooting. Kelly has since recovered and is back leading the department in the small town.

Sentencing was deferred for 90 days so a pre-sentencing investigation can be conducted. A date has not been set yet. It was an open plea, meaning there was no agreed-upon sentence prior to entering it.

Typically Bucks County Probation and Parole would handle the investigation, however since one of the victims in the case is a probation officer, another county's probation and parole department will handle it.

Petroziello sat next to his attorney, A. Charles Peruto, as the judge explained the plea process to him. Petroziello was clad in a yellow prison jumpsuit, and had long hair that went past his shoulders, and a long beard.

He explained that he was on medication, but that would not affect his decision-making process, and he was intelligently entering his plea. His family crowded behind him in the courtroom.

Behind First Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Schorn sat members of law enforcement, including Kelly, as well as representatives from Bucks County Probation and Parole.

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The plea comes 13 months after the shooting shocked the small riverfront community.

Bucks County Adult Probation officer Cristina Viviano said during Petroziello's preliminary hearing last year that she had been contacted by his parents alerting probation that he was having a mental health issue. Viviano said it was unusual to do the home visit, but that Petroziello, who was placed on county probation in January for a disorderly conduct incident, hadn't had a check in a while.

His family contacted probation to see if an officer could convince Petroziello to go to his court hearing on a DUI case in Philadelphia that day. When she heard doors slamming in the home, she called 911 to ask for police assistance. Kelly arrived shortly after, and the two approached the door.

Kelly yelled "Yardley police," then looked in through a window near the door.

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He saw Petroziello, prone, pointing a shotgun at him from the second floor, the chief testified. Kelly said Petroziello fired at him, striking his left ear and hand.

After the shooting, Petroziello barricaded himself in the home and would not let his mother leave, according to county detectives. His mother has said that he did not hold her against her will.

Testimony from the hearing last year showed that a SWAT team used a special vehicle to rescue his mother from the second floor of the home. They later used explosives to break down the door and arrest Petroziello, who was unconscious when officers found him.

The standoff lasted for about four hours. Nineteen police agencies, including some from New Jersey, assisted at the scene.

Petroziello's mother had tossed the shotgun from the building during the standoff. A pistol was found on Petroziello's waistband when he was arrested.

County Detective Frank Groome testified that Petroziello was not allowed to possess the weapons because of a previous protection-from-abuse order and two prior mental health commitments.

Schorn said Petroziello was under the influence of alcohol and some other prescribed drugs when officers arrested him. Petroziello's family on Thursday denied that he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Schorn commended both Viviano and Kelly on their response to the situation.

"They're two of the strongest people I've ever met," she said.

Guy Petroziello, Colin's father, told reporters following the hearing, that his son has suffered from various mental health ailments for a long time. Getting him help, he said, has been difficult. Guy Petroziello is a retired editor at the Courier Times.

"It's very hard for families with mentally ill loved ones to get the kind of help they need," he said. The family previously said Colin Petroziello was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism, in middle school and would later struggle with depression, anxiety and drug abuse.

At the time of the standoff, Colin Petroziello was in a state of paranoia, according to his father. He said his son had been seeing "armed men with guns" near him.

"That was his state of mind," Guy Petroziello said.

He said the year leading up to the shooting was particularly difficult as his son's condition worsened and he had shown increasing signs of delusional, angry and paranoid behavior and grown more secretive and more suspicious of others, including his parents.

Colin Petroziello has been taking medication for his ailments while he's been incarcerated over the past year. His father said he has seen improvement in his son since then. He's a thoughtful, humane individual, according to his father.

"I hope he lands in a place where he can get help," Guy Petroziello said of his son's forthcoming sentencing.

Kelly, who has worked in law enforcement for over 30 years, had surgery on his left hand to remove pellets from it. He also had treatment on his left ear, which was hit in the incident. Fifteen pieces of buckshot were removed from his hand, according to Schorn.

She said during the hearing Thursday that he still does not have full feeling in the hand.

Kelly, who returned to the force shortly after the shooting, said he would reserve comment until after the sentencing.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Yardley man pleads no contest to shooting police chief in 2021 standoff