A Kunkletown man has been charged with the shooting death of his 83-year-old father Friday morning in Chestnuthill Township.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Trooper Tristan Bennett of the Pennsylvania State Police, Troop N, Fern Ridge, in the case against Rick Colatrella:

On Friday, State Police Fern Ridge barracks received an emergency call from the Monroe County Control Center saying a man had shot his father.

Trooper Jason Beers called the man, Colatrella, 49, who told police that it was too late, and he had shot his father.

State troopers responded to the scene and detained Colatrella, who was in the road on his knees, where a firearm was observed on the ground next to him.

Colatrella was advised of his Miranda rights and warnings, and said “that he did not mean to kill his father, but it had to be done and stated that he saved his father’s life.”

The victim, Nicholas Colatrella, was found dead on his living room couch with gunshot wounds to his head and neck.

The gun was nearby, with two spent shell casings on the ground.

Earlier incident

Earlier that morning, troopers responded to the residence at 2:59 a.m. for reports of a disturbance.

Troopers interviewed both the suspect and the victim, at which time Rick Colatrella said his father, Nicholas, may have dementia but was not diagnosed.

Colatrella said that his father was holding a gun before troopers arrived, and thought he was a burglar.

Nicholas Colatrella told police a man in a black hooded sweatshirt was attempting to burglarize the residence.

Troopers saw two handguns on a table in the residence.

Shooting

Colatrella told police that sometime around 9 a.m. he was seated in the living room on a recliner when he was alerted by his father that there was a dog in the residence along with a potential intruder.

Colatrella said his father was seated on the living room sofa holding a handgun, pointing it around the residence, and that he tried to talk his father down that there was no dog or intruder in the residence. He said his father placed the gun down on a nearby leather chair.

Colatrella said after his father placed the gun down, he grabbed a Taurus 9 mm pistol from the sofa where his dad was seated, and then walked to the kitchen, where he briefly contemplated he was going to shoot his father.

Colatrella confessed he then returned to the living room and pointed the pistol at his father, who looked up at him and stated, “There you are?”

He said he then fired the gun three times, striking his father’s head, and then contacted 911 and informed dispatch that he had just shot his father.

Colatrella said he shot his father due to his possible dementia and reckless behavior of pointing the gun around on numerous occasions in the residence.

He told police he felt it was necessary to kill his father to relieve himself of the daily stress of dealing with him.

Colatrella faces a charge of criminal homicide.

He is incarcerated in the Monroe County Correctional Facility after bail was denied, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Nov. 13 before District Judge Colleen Mancuso of Brodheadsville.