Witness: Shooting was self-defense
By Greg Bock, gbock@altoonamirror.com
POSTED: February 26, 2010


A Blair County man charged with attempted murder was acting in self-defense, said a witness to Wednesday night's shooting outside an East End bar.

Police contend Alvin C. Zimmerman, 38, of 614 Third Ave., Duncansville, committed a crime when he shot one of two men who had followed him outside the Kettle Inn on South Kettle Street shortly after 10 p.m.

Zimmerman and another man were leaving the bar after a pool match when two men began shouting homosexual slurs at them, court documents state. Minutes later, Zimmerman was in handcuffs and another man was headed to the Altoona Regional Trauma Center, where he remained in serious condition Thursday after emergency surgery to remove a bullet from his abdomen.

Tony DeAntonio, who was there for his pool league, said he was leaving the bar at the same time and said the two men shouted obscenities as they followed Zimmerman and the other man outside.

DeAntonio, 21, said the man who was eventually shot stood in front of his vehicle as he tried to pull out, yelled for him to "get out of your truck" and was even throwing chunks of ice at Zimmerman.

"It was self-defense," DeAntonio said. "Al's just trying to get out of there. Nobody wanted to fight."

Zimmerman and the other man tried to leave, but Zimmerman pulled out his .32-caliber Kel-Tec handgun from his front pocket after one of the two men punched his friend, who then also pulled out a gun, court documents state.

"Go ahead and shoot me," is what one of the men allegedly shouted over and over as he walked toward Zimmerman, court documents state. Zimmerman was backing away and fired a warning shot at the ground, police said, but the man kept coming. So Zimmerman shot him.

Even after the man was shot, he tried getting up and limped toward Zimmerman, DeAntonio said.

Zimmerman immediately called 911, as did the gunshot victim's companion. When officers arrived, Zimmerman turned over his gun and was taken into custody, court documents state.

Zimmerman has been charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person and discharging a firearm within Altoona city limits. He was released from Blair County Prison Thursday after posting $30,000 of his $300,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Wednesday in Central Court


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