Man receives 15 to 30 years in prison for shooting police in Millcreek incident

“Law enforcement runs into the fight every time,” a Pennsylvania State Police trooper said in an Erie County courtroom Friday morning.

This was the case on the afternoon of September 5, 2023, as Trooper Kylene Cotton and others testified in court, when Millcreek Township and State Police troopers converged on a residence on East Gore Road in Millcreek because an uninvited guest had barricaded himself inside.

The house was set on fire and the person inside came out and started shooting at the officers.

“I know I personally had to fight an uphill battle because I could have taken his life that day,” Cotton said of suspect Keegan G. Baker.

Although Baker was not killed when police returned fire, he was shot multiple times.

Baker now has to go to state prison.

More: Suspect charged with attempted murder in Millcreek police shootout

As part of a plea agreement negotiated before Friday's court hearing, Baker, 27, pleaded guilty to 10 of the 12 counts he faces in the state police case, including attempted murder, aggravated assault and burglary. Prosecutors and Baker's attorney, Emily Merski, also agreed to recommend a prison sentence of 15 to 30 years for Baker.

The charges to which Baker pleaded guilty carry a maximum sentence of 124 years in prison, Assistant District Attorney Charles Cantrell said in court.

Erie County Judge David Ridge followed the sentencing recommendation, pointing out that Baker had accepted responsibility by confessing, the length of probation Baker will be on, and the fact that the police officers involved had accepted the recommendation.

Ridge told those present in the courtroom on Friday that on the day of the incident, all police officers acted courageously, intelligently and with restraint.

“They are alive today because of their education, their intelligence and their courage,” Ridge told Baker.

What led to the shooting?

According to case documents, Millcreek police responded to a residence at 1045 E. Gore Road on the afternoon of Sept. 5, 2023, after receiving a call that an unwanted person had broken into the home. Additional officers responded after the suspect barricaded himself inside the home, and several state troopers stationed in Lawrence Park Township also arrived at the scene, investigators reported at the time.

Officers on the scene soon noticed that the house was on fire. A short time later, police say, Baker appeared in the doorway of the house with a gun in his hand, yelled, “I'm going to make you famous,” and fired shots in the direction of police. Officers returned fire and Baker was shot.

None of the police officers were injured in the shooting.

Baker fired at least 12 shots during the incident, Millcreek Police Chief Carter Mook said in court Friday morning.

What led to the guilty pleas?

Prosecutors and Baker's attorney had previously reached a deal that led Baker to plead guilty in early June to 10 counts, including none of attempted murder, according to case documents. Both sides had also agreed to recommend a prison sentence of 10 to 20 years for Baker, but Baker's scheduled sentencing was postponed earlier this month due to issues surrounding the deal, including a stated disagreement by Millcreek police over the recommended sentence.

Ridge agreed to a motion filed by Merski to withdraw the original plea at the start of Friday's hearing, and Baker's new pleas were entered before sentencing.

Merski said in her court testimony Friday morning that untreated mental illness and a history of substance abuse are a very dangerous combination. Unfortunately, that is what happened in this incident, she said.

Mook spoke on behalf of the Millcreek police officers present Friday. He said the incident was not a case of someone randomly shooting in the dark, but an attack on police.

“In a civilized society, targeted attacks on law enforcement agencies cannot be tolerated,” he said.

Contact Tim Hahn at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.

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