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Gunpoint Robber Caught After Trying to Flee, Cops Say

Moments after three women were robbed a gunpoint, officers chased and caught Collingdale man, police said.

 

A 31-year-old Collingdale resident allegedly robbed three women at gunpoint and attempted to flee from officers before being subdued with Tasers, police said.

Aleem Barley was charged with multiple counts of robbery and aggravated and simple assault after police said he robbed three women at gunpoint on Sunday.

The West Chester Police Department received a report of an armed robbery on Sunday shortly before 2:30 a.m., in the vicinity of Church and Chestnut streets.

A man pointed a handgun at the three women and chambered a round, according to the victims' report.  Police said he took their purses and left the area on foot.

Within 30 seconds of the report, police said that an officer saw a white vehicle driving quickly away from the area of the robbery.

The officer made contact with the vehicle and had it pull over in a parking lot at the intersection of Church and Chestnut streets.

Barley got out of his vehicle. but refused to listen to verbal commands given to him by the officer, according to police.

Barley then got back into his vehicle and backed it into the marked police car, according to police, and then pulled forward and struck a parked car.  Police said that he then fled from the parking lot.

Police then cornered Barley in a parking lot behind the YMCA.  In another attempt to escape, police said that Barley then struck another police vehicle and another parked car. 

Police then took Barley into custody with the use of Tasers. 

The robbery victims identified Barley as the man who robbed them, according to police, who said they found a black semi-automatic handgun and the victims’ property on the floor of the vehicle Barley had been driving. 

Barley is currently being held in Chester County Prison with bail set at $100,000.

Related Topics: Aleem Barley, Armed Robbery, Crime, and west chester police department

nona

3:04 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

What a shame we are seeing more crimes of this nature in West Chester. Heartbreaking.

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Jim Beam

4:20 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Is that Tyrone Barley the former St. Joseph basketball player? I heard it is.

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nnfulhub

4:52 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013

More TNS in West Chester. Maybe next armed robbery they can use their guns.. Save the tasers for homecoming weekend.

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Mzplacedinphilly

8:39 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Am I the only person getting creeped out by what appears to be the increase in this type of thing?

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Steven

9:17 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013

nnfulhub makes a cogent point,,,why shouldn't the police use their guns? He was armed and defiant certainly grounds in my opinion for the police officers to protect themselves and the public. Sadly, in this day and age our police go to work with one hand tied behind their back, as the perpetrators have the upper hand. I guess the police not only have to feel as if their safety is endangered before using their weapon, they need to be shot at first.

The loser not only threatened the lives of three women and more than one police officer, he also destroyed public property of which I'm fairly certain the taxpayers will never receive proper recompence. I hope when this menace has his day in court the judge will impose a sentence nothing less than punitive where he never sees the light of day.

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nona

12:32 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013

I did wonder why, with the depth of his criminal behavior in this instance, he was not given a steeper bail.

nnfulhub

10:58 am on Wednesday, February 13, 2013

@Mzplacedinphilly It's definitely concerning to me as well that this is happening more frequently in the boro.

The boro should look to have more officers patrol the 2-3 blocks on both sides of Market and Gay. Between the drug dealers standing on the corners of Matlack (see the homicide last week) and gun toting robbers this area probably accounts for a good bit of WC's hard crime.

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Mzplacedinphilly

4:34 pm on Wednesday, February 13, 2013

From your mouth to the boro's ears. I sometimes wonder if keeping up with this is worth the worry. However, if this keeps escalating it will spiral out of control for sure. I fled Philly 7 years ago to the escape the random gunfire and nonsense. It seems it has spread to the burbs. If we keep going at the rate we are it will play in to property values. It is alreay impacting qulity of life. The sad part is what we read here is only a subset of the actual crimes that are reported. The crime stats for WC are really abysmal even if you take the college shenanigans in to consideration - i.e WC crime index of 17 against Phildelphia which is 9. I guess now is the time to speak up.

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