Derry man killed by police following daytime shooting

Police at the scene of a fatal shooting in Derry on Saturday (Jeffrey Hastings photo)

DERRY - A resident of Derry was fatally shot by police on Saturday during a daytime neighborhood confrontation involving the discharge of a weapon.

The incident unfolded around 2:15 p.m. with Derry Police responding to a 911 call for an individual with a shotgun approaching 1 Driftwood Road and firing at a resident.

Police converged in the area of Olde Coach Road and the Route 28 Bypass where a resident of 5 Driftwood Road, Christopher Coppola, 43, was fatally shot, police say. Initial information indicates three officers discharged weapons during the incident, according to a State Police press release.

An autopsy is scheduled for this morning at the Chief Medical Examiner's Office to determine Coppola's cause and manner of death. No law enforcement officers or other private citizens were physically injured during the shooting incident, including the initial resident who was fired at, according to safety officials.

Pursuant to protocol, police will not name the officers involved in the incident pending the conclusion of a formal interview. The initial responding officers did not have body cameras. Investigators will be reviewing whether cruiser cameras video or audio recorded any portion of the incident. Additional information is not anticipated until after the autopsy results are known tomorrow.