Plea deal apparently close for man accused of shooting at state troopers
Aimee AmbroseA Maryland man may be close to a plea agreement in a case accusing him of opening fire on police officers more than two years ago.
Gregory Kalinyak, 54, faces attempted murder, aggravated assault and other counts since the incident near the York-Adams County line on Sept. 23, 2020.
Kalinyak's family initially called Pennsylvania State Police asking for a welfare check. They said he left his home in Gaithersburg with a gun while talking about possible self-harm, according to the criminal complaint in the case.
Troopers used OnStar to track Kalinyak’s pickup truck to Route 15 near Gettysburg, and then found him stopped on the highway further north in Latimore Township, Adams County, shortly after midnight that night, according to details in the criminal complaint.
As troopers walked up to the truck, Kalinyak allegedly drove off and led police on a brief pursuit up Route 15. The truck ran over spike strips laid across the highway in Franklin Township, York County, and stopped, the complaint shows.
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Kalinyak then got out of his truck and allegedly fired a handgun several times at the troopers. Police returned fire as Kalinyak ran along the highway before fleeing into a wooded area, according to the complaint.
Nobody was shot, but bullets struck the passenger side mirror and window of a patrol vehicle, police said.
Officers from several state and local departments helped the troopers search the area for Kalinyak until he was found and taken into custody about two hours later. Police noted he had a gun next to him when he was arrested, the complaint shows.
His case has worked its way through the courts system since then, and he’s charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder of law enforcement officers, two felony counts of aggravated assault and counts of reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, fleeing police and carrying a handgun without a license.
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At a court hearing Tuesday, attorneys said their negotiations are close to reaching an agreement, and they need some more time to reach a resolution.
York County Court of Common Pleas Judge Gregory Snyder approved the request. He rescheduled the hearing for May 8.
— Reach Aimee Ambrose at aambrose@yorkdispatch.com or on Twitter at @aimee_TYD.
