Three teens knock man off bike and get shot; one dead another injured

A 65-year old man was bicycling on the Thun trail near the Bertolet Fishing Dock at South First Avenue and Chestnut Street in West Reading when three teens approached him, apparently to rob him. They knocked him off the bike and assaulted him, at which point the man pulled a gun and started shooting, killing one teen and injuring another.

A 16-year old boy, Julius Johnson, was killed, a 15-year old was injured and is in the hospital, and the other 15-year old was captured within minutes by police responding to the scene. Johnson had a previous record, and the boys had apparently just jumped and robbed two other elderly men.

Given that the teens were not armed, was this an appropriate use of deadly force? Would it have turned out the same if the man had just given over his wallet?

From the article:

Someone flagged down a passer-by in the 200 block of Riverfront Drive near Reading Area Community College.

Within minutes officers from the city, West Reading, Cumru Township, state police and the Berks County sheriff's office were at the scene. They found the dead boy on a sliver of land that is part of Cumru at the end of the pedestrian bridge.

District Attorney John T. Adams responded with detectives from the county's forensic services unit.

After consulting with Adams, police decided to release the man and charge the juvenile.