Anthony Allegrini Jr, Glen Mills, 18 year old drag racing shot & killed after driving car into 2 troopers on I-95 as girlfriend, Reagan Hocking points to video and questions investigator accounts.
An 18 year old man reported to be drag racing was shot and killed after he allegedly drove his car into two Pennsylvania state troopers on I-95 near Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia early Sunday morning.
Pennsylvania State Troopers responded to I-95 southbound at mile marker 21 near Penn’s Landing around 3:20 a.m. following a report of several vehicles and pedestrians illegally blocking the roadway. There were also reports of shots fired at the location, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
When state troopers arrived they found several vehicles illegally blocking the roadway with drivers drag racing, doing ‘burnouts’ and ‘drifting’ as a crowd of spectators watched outside of their cars, investigators said. Officials said that similar incidents had been reported earlier as well.
‘Reckless and aggressive behavior’
Police tried to stop one of the drivers, later identified as 18-year-old Anthony Allegrini Jr. of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. Allegrini allegedly failed to yield and struck two of the troopers with his car. One of the troopers then pulled out his service weapon and opened fire, shooting Allegrini at least once. Allegrini was pronounced dead at the scene by medics.
The two troopers who were struck suffered minor injuries, NBC Philadelphia cited investigators saying.
Prior to the incident, police had responded to other reports of street racing. Just before midnight, they had responded to Torresdale and Cottman avenues in Northeast Philly, and, at 1 a.m., to Bustleton and Poquessing avenues, the Inquirer reported.
‘This type of reckless and aggressive behavior cannot and will not be tolerated,’ Mayor Jim Kenney tweeted after news of several drag racing events was reported Sunday. ‘Dangerous actions like these put everyone in our city at risk, especially our officers who work hard to keep our residents safe. This is unacceptable.’
Allegrini’s girlfriend, Reagan Hocking, who has since disputed police accounts and has claimed Allegrini was the victim of overtly aggressive police behavior told 6ABC her boyfriend was a car enthusiast.
‘A cop showed up killing an innocent life.’
‘He loves all cars,’ she said. ‘He drove an Audi S4. He loves it. He pays for it.’
Hocking described the gathering where Allegrini had been racing as a car meet.
Hocking said the 2023 Interboro graduate loved hockey, working out and cars. While she was not with him Sunday morning, she has gone with him before to other car meet-ups.
‘I do agree that that might not be the most safe thing to do in the world,’ Hocking said. ‘But what’s not safe is a cop showing up and killing an innocent life.’
The girlfriend also disputed state police accounts, claiming Allegrini was shot when he was outside of a vehicle rather than inside as investigators claimed. She referenced a social media video that appears to show a man bloody and moving on the ground while a state trooper stands with his gun pointed.
I’m definitely not pro cop. However, I am even more so, not pro dummy. And driving like this on an interstate puts “me” at risk. And today i love me. https://t.co/kSMZ8RkpOA
— Frank White (@KingOfPhila) June 5, 2023
Was drag racing teen inside or outside car when he was shot by troopers?
The authenticity of that video has yet to be verified.
‘To the police in general, I just want to say that you need to own up to the rights and you need to give us the honest truth,’ Hocking said. ‘Stop protecting yourself. You just killed an innocent life. And you should be held accountable for that.’
‘I think he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and unfortunately it just ended in a very, very bad way,’ Hocking told CBS News.
Investigators are standing by their statement that Allegrini was inside the car when he was shot. Both Pennsylvania State Police and the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office are investigating the incident.
‘He just had the kindest soul ever, he cared about everyone,’ Hocking added.
