A Scottish expat has been shot dead by US police after pointing a gun at them outside his home.
Gregor Fleming, 44 is said to have “displayed a firearm” and moved towards officers on March 7 in Hampden Township, Pennsylvania.
Fleming was declared dead at the scene, with his American fiancée Kelly Thompson, 47, a medical assistant, witnessing the shooting.
An investigation has now been launched by local police, however Thompson refused to criticise their handling of the incident.
Gregor Fleming was shot dead in Hampden Township, Pennsylvania
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She told the Daily Record: “I watched everything happen. He left the police with no choice. They told him to drop the gun several times and he refused.
“He started walking towards them with the gun and they had no choice but to do what they did.
“It’s an image burned in my mind that I will never forget. I watched the love of my life die right in front of me.”
Fleming moved to the US from Thornliebank, near Glasgow, in 2013 and had been training to be a plumber.
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Police officers were called to reports of a disturbance
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Thompson said her partner had been drinking heavily around the time of his death after a medical scan indicated he may have throat cancer.
She said: “He has been in severe pain since February after breaking his back and on top of that the imaging found a mass on his oesophagus that was likely cancer.
“He spiralled out of control and started drinking heavily and became suicidal. He was depressed and scared about possible cancer and the alcohol and medications he was on for pain didn’t help.”
Fleming had planned to return to Scotland after he and Thompson were married. The couple met when they were both living in Virginia.
She described Fleming, a Rangers fan, as a “selfless, kind, generous and loving person” who was an “amazing stepfather” to her four children.
A spokesperson from Pennsylvania State Police said: “On March 7, 2024, Hampden Township Police were dispatched to the area of the 5000 block of Erbs Bridge Road, Hampden Township, Cumberland County, for a disturbance.
“At that time, the officers discharged their firearms striking the subject. The subject was pronounced deceased at the scene.
“Pennsylvania State Police’s Troop H Major Case team is currently investigating this incident.”
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