This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/23/pittsburgh-antwon-rose-ii-officer-acquitted-protests

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Pittsburgh: shots fired into office of lawyer who defended acquitted white officer Pittsburgh: shots fired into office of lawyer who defended acquitted white officer
(about 5 hours later)
Gunshots were fired through the window of the office of an attorney who defended a white Pittsburgh police officer acquitted on Friday in the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager. Shots were fired through the office window of the attorney for a white police officer acquitted in the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager, before several hundred people gathered in protest on Saturday over a verdict that left Pittsburgh on edge. Police put officers on 12-hour shifts until further notice.
Police said there were otherwise no reports of arrests or property damage following the verdict that left Antwon Rose’s family distraught but not surprised. The jury’s decision late on Friday in the killing of 17-year-old Antwon Rose II upset his family and touched off a night-time demonstration by about 100 people. That was followed by another protest on Saturday afternoon at an intersection called Freedom Corner in the Hill District neighborhood, the historic center of black cultural life in Pittsburgh.
The attorney, Patrick Thomassey, told WTAE-TV he was called after midnight about the shots fired into the Monroeville building, which sits on a busy street in a residential area. On Saturday, two bullet holes could be seen from outside and the window was taped up. One man held a sign with the names of black men killed by police around the US.
Former East Pittsburgh officer Michael Rosfeld was charged with homicide for shooting Rose in the back as the 17-year-old ran away from a traffic stop last June. But Rosfeld walked out of the courtroom a free man on Friday after jurors rejected the argument that he acted as “judge, jury and executioner”, in the words of an assistant district attorney. “It’s very painful to see what happened, to sit there and deal with it,” Rose’s father, Antwon Rose Sr, told the crowd. “I just don’t want it to happen to our city no more. It’s happening like every other day. We’ve got to do more in our community so they have more stuff to do.”
Addressing the “young brothers”, the teenager’s father said: “Stay out of the way. Do what you got to do for your parents. Streets ain’t it. Streets ain’t it. Read books, man. Do everything you got to do, but leave those streets alone. It ain’t worth it.”
The crowd then began marching toward downtown Pittsburgh.
Overnight, five to eight shots were fired into the building where defense attorney Patrick Thomassey works, police in nearby Monroeville said. Police said they had been staking out the place as a precaution when they left to answer another call around midnight. That was when bullets hit a window and the front wall. No one was hurt.
“Our office disagreed with the verdict and we understand the frustration of everyone who was hoping for and expecting a different outcome,” said Mike Manko, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office.
“However, the community needs to realize that when such frustration becomes hateful and violent, there will be ramifications for those involved in that behavior.”
Former East Pittsburgh police officer Michael Rosfeld was charged with homicide for shooting Rose in the back as the teenager ran away from a traffic stop last June. Rosfeld walked out of the courtroom a free man after jurors rejected the prosecution’s argument that he acted as Rose’s “judge, jury and executioner”.
“I hope that man never sleeps at night,” Rose’s mother, Michelle Kenney, said of Rosfeld, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I hope he gets as much sleep as I do, which is none.”“I hope that man never sleeps at night,” Rose’s mother, Michelle Kenney, said of Rosfeld, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I hope he gets as much sleep as I do, which is none.”
The verdict leaves Rose’s family to pursue the federal civil rights lawsuit they filed last August against Rosfeld and East Pittsburgh, a small municipality about 10 miles from downtown Pittsburgh.The verdict leaves Rose’s family to pursue the federal civil rights lawsuit they filed last August against Rosfeld and East Pittsburgh, a small municipality about 10 miles from downtown Pittsburgh.
Rose’s death – one of many high-profile killings of black men and teens by white police officers in recent years – spurred angry protests in the Pittsburgh area last year, including a late-night march that shut down a major highway. Rose’s death, one of many high-profile killings of black men and teens by white officers in recent years, spurred angry protests last year, including a late-night march that shut down a major highway.
On Friday night, before the shots were fired, a small group of chanting protesters briefly blocked intersections and entering hotels. Police tweeted that the “peaceful demonstration” had resulted in rolling, temporary road closures. After the verdict, a group of about 100 protesters headed to the trendy East Liberty neighborhood, a few miles from the downtown Pittsburgh courthouse, where they blocked intersections and briefly entered two hotels, chanting “17” for Rose’s age and reading a poem written by Rose.
Rose was riding in an unlicensed taxi that had been involved in a drive-by shooting minutes earlier when Rosfeld pulled the car over and then shot the 17-year-old in the back, arm and side of the face as he ran away. Police said the demonstrations were peaceful and only a few garbage cans and newspaper boxes were kicked over. No arrests were made.
The former officer told jurors he thought Rose or another suspect had a gun pointed at him, insisting he fired his weapon to protect himself and the community. Neither teen was holding a gun when Rosfeld opened fire, though two guns were later found in the car. Rose was riding in an unlicensed taxi that had been involved in a drive-by shooting minutes earlier when Rosfeld pulled the car over and shot the teenager in the back, arm and side of the face as he ran away.
Rose “posed no threat whatsoever to Rosfeld or others”, said the family’s lawyer, Fred Rabner. “Make no mistake, there is nothing reasonable or appropriate about the manner Officer Rosfeld took Antwon’s life.” The former officer told jurors he thought Rose or another suspect had a gun pointed at him, insisting he fired to protect himself and the community. Neither teen was holding a weapon when Rosfeld opened fire, though two guns were later found in the car.
The panel of seven men and five women – including three black jurors – saw video of the confrontation, which showed Rose falling to the ground after being hit. The acquittal came after fewer than four hours of deliberations on the fourth day of the trial. The 12-person jury including three black members saw video of the fatal confrontation. The acquittal came after less than four hours of deliberations on the fourth day of the trial.
Thomassey told reporters Rosfeld was “a good man. He said to me many times, ‘Patrick, this has nothing to do with the kid’s color. I was doing what I was trained to do.”’ Thomassey added that he hoped the city remained calm, and “everybody takes a deep breath and gets on with their lives”. Thomassey, the defense lawyer, told reporters Rosfeld was “a good man. He said to me many times, ‘Patrick, this has nothing to do with the kid’s color. I was doing what I was trained to do.”’
Michelle Kenney, Rose’s mother, said she was upset but unsurprised, given similar cases in which police officers have either avoided charges or won acquittals. Thomassey said he hoped the city remains calm and “everybody takes a deep breath and gets on with their lives”.
“It isn’t what I hoped for, but it’s what I expected,” she said, adding she feels her son ended up dead because he was black. Rosfeld had worked for the East Pittsburgh police department for only a few weeks and was sworn in just hours before the shooting.
The prosecution and the defense sparred over whether Rosfeld, who worked for the East Pittsburgh police department for only a few weeks and was officially sworn in just hours before the shooting, was justified in using lethal force. Prosecutor Jonathan Fodi argued that the video evidence showed there was no threat to the officer. But a defense expert testified Rosfeld was within his rights to use deadly force to stop suspects he thought had been involved in a shooting. Prosecutors did not call their own use-of-force expert.
Assistant district attorney Jonathan Fodi declared Rosfeld had acted as “judge, jury and executioner” and the video evidence showed “there was no threat” to the officer.
“We don’t shoot first and ask questions later,” the prosecutor said.
But a defense expert testified Rosfeld was within his rights to use deadly force to stop suspects he thought had been involved in a shooting. Prosecutors did not call their own use-of-force expert.
“The prosecution’s handling of this case, particularly the decision not to call a police expert, raises many questions,” said Reggie Shuford, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.“The prosecution’s handling of this case, particularly the decision not to call a police expert, raises many questions,” said Reggie Shuford, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.
Rose had been riding in the front seat of the cab when another occupant, Zaijuan Hester, in the back, rolled down a window and shot at two men on the street, hitting one. A few minutes later, Rosfeld spotted their car, which had its rear windshield shot out, and pulled it over. Manko, the district attorney’s spokesman, responded by saying prosecutors were confident that the video, “along with common sense and the questions we knew we were able to raise about the defense expert report”, would be enough.
Rosfeld ordered the driver to the ground, but Rose and another passenger jumped out and began running away. Rosfeld fired three times in quick succession. The defense said the shooting was justified because Rosfeld believed he was in danger and couldn’t wait for other officers to get there. Shortly before the traffic stop, Rose had been riding in the front seat of the cab when another occupant, Zaijuan Hester, in the back, rolled down a window and shot at two men on the street, hitting one in the abdomen. Hester, 18, pleaded guilty last week to aggravated assault and firearms violations. He told a judge that he, not Rose, did the shooting.
“He’s a sitting duck,” Thomassey told jurors, asking them to consider “the standard of what a reasonable police officer would do under the circumstances”. Prosecutors had charged Rosfeld with an open count of homicide, meaning the jury had the option of convicting him of murder or manslaughter.
Hester, 18, pleaded guilty last week to aggravated assault and firearms violations. Hester told a judge he, not Rose, did the shooting.
Prosecutors had charged Rosfeld with an open count of homicide, meaning the jury had the option of convicting him of murder or manslaughter. The prosecution said Rosfeld gave inconsistent statements about the shooting, including whether he thought Rose was armed.
US policingUS policing
US crimeUS crime
PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
RaceRace
ProtestProtest
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content