#PITTSBURGH CITIZENS POLICE REVIEW BOARD

[18ricco]

COMMUNITY POLICE CONVERSATION IN THE HILL DISTRICT IN PITTSBURGH

#18ricco#pittsburghphotojournalist#pittsburghphotojournalist#pittsburghvideographer#pittsburghphotographer#pittsburghproducer#pittsburghevents#NODAYSOFF#PittsburghPolice#pittsburghpolicechief#pittsburghpublicsafety

[wpanews]

Target 11 Exclusive: Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board considering action against city

Target 11 Exclusive: Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board considering action against city

Target 11 Investigator Rick Earle has learned that the Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board is considering issuing a subpoena to force the city of Pittsburgh to turn over documents they contend may shed critical information on three recent incidents involving officers who allegedly failed to follow orders. Earle reached out to the city for an update on the status of the information requested by…

[eowyntheavenger]

What have the protests accomplished?

5/26 4 officers fired for murdering George Floyd 5/27 Charges dropped for Kenneth Walker (Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend, who police accused of killing her) 5/28 University of Minnesota cancels contract with police 5/28 3rd precinct police station neutralized by protesters 5/28 Minneapolis transit union refuses to bring police officers to protests or transport arrested protesters 5/29 Activists commandeer Minneapolis hotel to provide shelter to homeless 5/29 Former officer Chauvin arrested and charged with murder 5/29 Louisville Mayor suspends “no-knock” warrants 5/30 US Embassies across Africa condemn police murder of George Floyd 5/30 Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison takes over prosecution of the murdering officer 5/30 Transport Workers Union refuses to help NYPD transport arrests protesters 5/30 Maryland lawmakers forming work group on police reform, accountability 5/31 2 abusive officers fired for pulling a couple out of their car and tasing them - Atlanta, GA 6/1 Minneapolis public schools end contract with police 6/1 Confederate monument removed after being toppled by protesters - Birmingham, AL 6/1 CA prosecutors launch campaign to stop DAs from accepting police union money 6/1 Tulsa Mayor agrees to not renew Live PD contract 6/1 Louisville police chief fired after shooting of David Mcatee 6/1 Congress begins bipartisan push to cut off police access to military gear 6/1 Atlanta announces plans to create a task force and public database to track police brutality in metro Atlanta area 6/2 Minneapolis AFL-CIO calls for resignation of police union president Bob Kroll, a vocal white supremest 6/2 Pittsburgh transit union announces refusal to transport police officers or arrest protesters 6/2 Racist ex-mayor Frank Rizzo statue removed in Philadelphia 6/2 6 abusive officers charged for violence against residents and protesters - Atlanta, GA 6/2 Civil rights investigation of Minneapolis Police Dept launched 6/2 San Francisco resolution to prevent law enforcement from hiring officers with history of misconduct 6/2 Survey indicates that 64% of those polled are sympathetic to protesters, 47% disapprove of police handling of the protests, and 54% think the burning down of the Minneapolis police precinct was fully or partially justified 6/2 Trenton NJ announces policing reforms 6/2 Minneapolis City Council members consider disbanding the police 6/2 Confederate statue removed from Alexandria, VA 6/3 Officer fired for tweets promoting violence against protesters - Denver, CO 6/3 Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Art cut ties with the MPD 6/3 Chauvin charges upgraded to second degree murder, remaining 3 officers also charged and taken into custody 6/3 Richmond VA Mayor Stoney announces RPD reform measures: establish "Marcus" alert for folks experiencing mental health crises, establish independent Citizen Review Board, an ordinance to remove Confederate monuments, and implement racial equity study 6/3 County commissioners deny proposal for $23 million expansion of Fulton County jail 6/3 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board unanimously votes to sever ties with MPD 6/3 Seattle withdraws request to end federal oversight/consent decree of police department 6/3 Breonna Taylor’s case reopened 6/3 Louisville police department (Breonna Taylor’s murderers) will now be under review from an outside agency, which will include review on training, bias-free policing and accountability 6/3 Colorado lawmakers introduce a police reform bill that includes body cam laws, repealing the “fleeing felon” statute, and banning chokeholds 6/3 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announces plans to reduce funding to police department by $150M and instead invest in minority communities 6/4 Virginia governor announces plans to remove Robert E. Lee statue from Richmond 6/4 Portland schools superintendent discontinues presence of armed police officers in schools 6/4 MBTA (Metro Boston) board orders that buses wont transport police to protests, or protesters to police 6/4 King County Labor Federation issues ultimatum to police unions: admit to and address racism in Seattle PD, or be removed 6/5 City of Minneapolis bans all chokeholds by police 6/5 Racist ex-mayor Hubbard statue removed - Dearborn, MI 6/5 NFL condemns racism and admits it should have listened to players’ protests 6/5 California Governor Gavin Newsom calls for statewide use-of-force standard made along with community leaders and ban on carotid holds 6/5 2 Buffalo officers suspended within a day of pushing 75 year old protester to the ground, and lying about it 6/5 2 NYPD officers suspended after videos of violence to protesters 6/5 The US Marines bans display of the Confederate flag 6/5 Dallas adopts a "duty to intervene" rule that requires officers to stop other cops who are engaging in excessive use of force 6/5 Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax releases an 11-point action plan for immediate police reforms 6/6 Statue of Confederate general Williams Carter Wickham torn down - Richmond, VA 6/6 2 Buffalo officers charged with second-degree assault for shoving elderly man 6/6 San Francisco Mayor London Breed announces effort to defund police and redirect funds to Black community 6/7 Frank Rizzo mural removed, to be replaced with new artwork - Philadelphia, PA 6/7 Minneapolis City Council members announce intent to disband the police department, invest in proven community-led public safety 6/7 Protesters in Bristol topple statue of slave trader Edward Colston, throw it in the river 6/7 NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio vows for the first time to cut funding for NYPD, redirect to social services 6/7 A Virginia police officer faces charges after using a stun gun on a black man 6/8 NY State Assembly passes the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act 6/8 Democrats in Congress unveil a bill to rein in bias and excessive force in policing 6/8 Black lawmakers block a legislative session in Pennsylvania to demand action on police reform 6/8 France bans police use of chokeholds 6/8 Seattle council members join calls to defund police department 6/8 Boston reevaluates how it funds police department 6/8 Honolulu Police Commission nominees voice support for more transparency, reforms 6/8 Rights groups and Floyd’s family call for a UN inquiry into American policing and help with systemic police reform

No, it’s not enough, but this is only the beginning. Keep fighting!!!

(This list comes from Mara Ahmed’s blog post and was compiled by Fahd Ahmed; I added sources and new entries. Please reblog with further additions.)

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/in-cities-across-us-voters-support-more-police-oversight/

In cities across US, voters support more police oversight

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Voters in communities across the country approved measures on Election Day toughening civilian oversight of law enforcement agencies, including some that took years to reach the ballot but grew in urgency after global protests over racial injustice and police brutality.

The measures take aim at a chronic sore point in many communities, particularly among Black residents: that police departments traditionally have little oversight outside their own internal review systems, which often clear officers of wrongdoing in fatal civilian shootings.

“Recent events opened up people’s eyes more to how much this type of oversight is needed,” said Monica Steppe, a San Diego councilwoman who championed a successful proposal predating the protests that will dissolve the city’s current police review board and replace it with a more independent body with investigative powers.

However, the oversight boards don’t address other points of contention, such as the lack of diversity in many departments, and the perception of a different standard of police for Black residents than white.

In San Jose, California, voters approved an expansion of an independent police auditor’s powers, including the ability to undertake investigations even without a citizen’s complaint.

The proposal was in the works for three years, but the City Council voted to place it on the ballot in the wake of protests that erupted after George Floyd died in May after a police officer pressed a knee against his neck for several minutes while Floyd said he couldn’t breathe.

“It ended up being great timing for us because as the national spotlight shined on police excessive use of force and police brutality and certainly demands for oversight, we already had everything in the works,” said Councilmember Raul Peralez, a former full-time San Jose police officer and now a reserve officer.

And in Los Angeles, voters approved a measure requiring that at least 10% of county general fund revenue be set aside for alternatives to incarceration. But statewide, voters rejected a measure to replace cash bail with a system based on public safety and flight risk.

Critics of cash bail say it discriminates against poor people, including the disproportionate number of minorities in the criminal justice system. New Jersey in 2017 essentially eliminated cash bail.

In Portland, Oregon, voters approved a City Council-backed measure that gained momentum after the spring protests to create an independent commission overseeing misconduct investigations of Portland police officers. The measure already faces a police union grievance trying to stop it.

In Seattle, voters gave the King County Council the ability to specify the sheriff’s public safety powers. The goal was providing an alternative to some policing practices, such as expanding the use of social workers to respond to emergency calls of people in crisis. The referendum grew directly out of the reckoning that followed Floyd’s death, said Councilmember Girmay Zahilay.

A successful Philadelphia ballot issue creates a new civilian review commission and places it under the control of the City Council in the hopes of making it more independent. In Pittsburgh, a charter amendment requiring police officers to cooperate with the city’s civilian police review board passed overwhelmingly.

“If you’re going to have oversight of police actions, then you need the officers who have performed those actions to be transparent, and for other officers who witnessed it to bring their testimony,” said Rev. Ricky Burgess, a Pittsburgh council member who pushed the measure. “Right now neither is required.”

The law enforcement community remains concerned that such oversight boards — which often don’t involve police input — are punitive and automatically assume wrongdoing by officers based on their prejudices, said Jim Pasco, executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police.

“Because they come from a flawed premise, in many instances they’re going to lead to flawed conclusions and therefore the remedies they would propose are going to be equally flawed,” he said.

In Columbus, voters approved the city’s first-ever police review board. The measure was strongly supported by Democratic Mayor Andrew Ginther, who made its passage a top priority.

The Columbus police department had already faced criticism after a number of episodes, including the 2016 shooting of Henry Green, a Black man, by two undercover white police officers working in an anti-crime summer initiative.

Later in 2016, a white officer fatally shot a 13-year-old Black teenager during a robbery investigation. In 2017, a video showed a Columbus officer restraining a prone Black man and preparing to handcuff him when an officer who was also involved in the Green shooting arrives and appears to kick the man in the head. The city fired that officer, but an arbitrator ordered him reinstated.

Columbus police have a “significant disparity of use of force against minority residents” that the city must address, according to a report by Matrix Consulting Group last year for a city safety advisory commission.

The Columbus review board and an accompanying inspector general’s office will have the ability to pursue parallel investigations of police misconduct alongside the police department’s own internal affairs bureau.

The board wouldn’t have the authority to discipline an officer, but its report would end up on the desk of the city’s safety director, who does.

Details of the Columbus review board will be worked out in upcoming negotiations with the police union representing the department’s 1,800 or so officers.

Many officers want the process to be fair and don’t feel as if they were treated fairly by the city during the months of unrest, said Keith Ferrell, executive director of the union representing Columbus officers.

“Fair to the officers, fair to the citizens, and quite honestly doesn’t put the citizens at risk because officers are afraid to do their jobs,” Ferrell said.

The Columbus review board is not about demonizing the police, but is instead about accountability and restoration of trust, said Nick Bankston, the measure’s campaign manager.

“We heard loud and clear from the community that we currently have a system where it’s the police policing the police,” Bankston said. “That just doesn’t make sense, and there’s not trust that’s there.”

___

Associated Press writer Gillian Flaccus in Portland contributed to this report.

[hallhub6-blog]

The Black Girl Magic is Real—Taliaferro, Bennett latest Pittsburgh Black women to win elections

By Rob Taylor Jr.

Magic is defined as “the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.”

But in Pittsburgh, Devon Taliaferro and Olivia Bennett aren’t “mysterious or supernatural forces.” They are Black women, born and raised in this area, who sought to make change—in Taliaferro’s case, the school system, or in Bennett’s case, the justice system.

There is a popular hashtag/trending topic circulating across America, labeled #Blackgirlmagic. The concept was formed in 2013 “to celebrate the beauty, power and resilience of Black women.”

You can add Taliaferro and Bennett to Pittsburgh’s growing list of #Blackgirlmagic, after they won their primary election races on May 21.

Taliaferro, 38, dominated the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board District 2 race, besting three other contenders with 34 percent of the total vote. Bennett, 40, surprised many with a victory over challenger Denise Ranalli Russell for Allegheny County Council District 13. Bennett had 58 percent of the vote, Russell tallied 41 percent.

In this heavily Democratic area, both Taliaferro and Bennett won’t have any problems winning the November general election. Thus, you can make their positions on the board and council, respectively, a formality.

“We handle stuff, we make stuff happen,” Bennett told the New Pittsburgh Courier, May 21, about Black women in general. “And I believe that we have the knowledge…we can talk intelligently about policy issues, about things that need to be done. Some of us are coming from a place of poverty, some of us are coming from socio-economic disadvantage, some of us are coming from projects, we have all these different perspectives. It just makes sense that we would be entering public office.”

Added Taliaferro: “Black women are taking over, the Black girl magic is real, and I think it’s important because Black women have so much power and we have a great voice.”

In just the last 18 months, the Pittsburgh area has watched Marita Garrett become Wilkinsburg’s first Black female mayor, Summer Lee become the first Black female state representative in Western Pennsylvania (outside city limits), Nickole Nesby become the first Black female mayor of Duquesne, and Chardae Jones take the throne as mayor of Braddock.

In the May 21 primary election for state Superior Court, Amanda Green-Hawkins garnered the most votes of any candidate—Democrat or Republican—and is in the running to win one of two vacant seats on the court in the November general election.

“I think it’s underrated (the power of Black women),” Taliaferro told the Courier moments after her victory. “We work hard…we deserve to be acknowledged for that hard work. I think it feels good when people can say, ‘I believe in you,’ ‘I think that you can do it,’ and that’s what I’ve experienced.”

Taliaferro grew up in Wilkinsburg, graduated from Wilkinsburg High School in 1999, then attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh. The East Allegheny resident currently is a program associate with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh. She runs two mentoring programs—one at Brashear High School, the other at Greenfield Elementary. With her being in the schools, Taliaferro’s decision for running for school board was “solely on the experiences that I’ve had and the conversations that I’ve had with my students. I talk to kids all the time, I hear that they don’t like lunch, I see them get suspended for outrageous reasons. I see the issues and I see the needs that they have and they deserve better,” she said.

Taliaferro has two main priorities as a soon-to-be board member—first, “making sure our kids are staying in the classroom, that we’re really working towards the solutions that need to happen in order for us to eliminate suspensions…and invest more into the restorative justice practices that exist in the district. And second, investing in more PPS-designated “community schools.” Taliaferro wants to increase the resources that students need to be successful in the home and classroom. But what are those resources? Taliaferro said that is best answered by the parents. Thus, he wants to “engage (parents) and meet them where they are,” such as their child’s football game.

As for Bennett, she couldn’t believe what happened to Antwon Rose II. “When we witnessed a young boy getting shot in the back three times, running away from an officer…we can’t blame a young boy,” she told the Courier after her victory. “This officer was out to serve and protect…I don’t think shooting a boy in the back three times is serving or protecting. We have over 100 police departments in Allegheny County. They are not all working on the same standards and protocols. We need to fix that.”

Rose, 17, was shot to death by former East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfeld in June 2018, and was found not guilty of criminal homicide by a jury in March.

Bennett’s primary focus as a future member of county council is the implementation of a county-wide citizen police review board. “Just because you cross over into another municipality, which can happen just by crossing the street in some places,” Bennett said that doesn’t mean a police department’s policies should change.

“We need to have a clear definition on how we are policed in our communities and that is what that county citizen police review board (is for),” Bennett said.

Bennett is a 1996 graduate of Oakland Catholic High School, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Carlow University. She’s about to attend the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

Bennett, a Northview Heights resident, celebrated with family, friends and the Taliaferro contingent at Walter’s BBQ Southern Kitchen in Lawrenceville, after learning of the election results.

The mood was festive, as one would expect. The hugs for Bennett and Taliaferro were aplenty, the outpouring of support was abundant.

Absent from the celebration were David Copperfield and David Blaine, two of America’s most famous magicians.

No problem. Taliaferro and Bennett brought their own magic—#Blackgirlmagic.

“We’re tired of people speaking for us that don’t look like us, that don’t live our experiences, but want to continue making policy that is harming us,” Bennett told the Courier. “I think that people around the county are fed up with this, and you see that today.”

Like us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Pittsburgh-Courier/143866755628836?ref=hl

Follow @NewPghCourier on Twitter  https://twitter.com/NewPghCourier

This article originally appeared in the New Pittsburgh Courier. 

Source: https://www.blackpressusa.com/the-black-girl-magic-is-real-taliaferro-bennett-latest-pittsburgh-black-women-to-win-elections/

[casorasi]

Citizens board: Video backs cop in Steelers' coach arrest

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The director of the Pittsburgh Police Citizens Review Board says video of the arrest of Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter supports an officer's version of the events, including that Porter grabbed the officer's wrists, rendering him defenseless. Citizens board: Video backs cop in Steelers' coach arrest

[brajeshupadhyay]

Pittsburgh mayor has “serious concerns” over protester’s arrest by police in unmarked van

Pittsburgh’s mayor says he has “serious concerns” over the tactics used in the arrest of a 25-year-old protester on Saturday, CBS Pittsburgh reports. Matthew Cartier was purportedly seen in video posted on social media being arrested and put into an unmarked van by armed officers after he allegedly interfered with public safety.

The arrest took place Saturday around 5 p.m. in the Oakland neighborhood, where Cartier was allegedly blocking an intersection that is used for hospitals and the University of Pittsburgh. The Associated Press noted that Commander Ed Trapp of the Special Deployment Division said that Cartier was directing vehicles “with no situational awareness” and feared a traffic incident might happen. AP said about 150 people were part of the march that began about one hour and 45 minutes before the arrest.

“The idea was a surgical maneuver to remove the person that was the problem and allow the main protest march to continue, which in fact it did,” Trapp explained Sunday. Sergeant Donald Mitchell of the Civil Affairs unit also said Saturday was a “move-in day for the University of Pittsburgh, so traffic was extremely heavy.”

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said he had “serious concerns” over the use of what police referred to as a “low visibility arrest.” CBS Pittsburgh said the mayor found out about the arrest “moments” after it had happened.

“… That imagery, what people saw, scared them because they don’t believe that’s part of what Pittsburgh is,” Peduto said Sunday. “They saw officers getting somebody and throwing them into a van, and they ask ‘Why?’ and they’re right to ask ‘Why?'”

Police on Sunday said they chose to apprehend the protester this way to prevent a crowd from gathering around the arrest, which could “incite them further.”

During Sunday’s press conference, Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said more than 100 demonstrations have taken place in Pittsburgh since the death of George Floyd and most happen on a weekly basis, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Safety officials have said that the gatherings have become increasingly unsafe.  

In response to the arrest, the mayor tweeted Saturday night that the city and the ACLU worked together in creating codes to enforce the public’s safety. Peduto also said officials will “fully examine operations taken by Pittsburgh Police.”

“The right to assemble is a guaranteed right, the right to shut down public streets, is a privilege. That privilege is sanctioned by laws and codes,” the mayor wrote. “In Pittsburgh, we worked w ACLU & [Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board] to create our codes.”

Just a quick reminder of Constitutional rights. They have restrictions. The right to assemble is a guaranteed right, the right to shut down public streets, is a privilege. That privilege is sanctioned by laws and codes. In Pittsburgh, we worked w ACLU & CPRB to create our codes.

— bill peduto (@billpeduto) August 16, 2020

But the ACLU said Sunday that officers were “in clear violation of their own guidelines.”

“According to those who were there, the law enforcement officers involved made no effort to work with protest leaders to clear the area and gave no clear dispersal order,” Witold Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, said in a statement. “Instead, they tricked a protest leader to approach them and then whisked him away. The ACLU of Pennsylvania has never suggested that the snatch-and-stash arrest of a peaceful demonstrator is ever acceptable.”

CBS Pittsburgh said Cartier is facing charges of obstruction of a highway or other public passage, disorderly conduct and failure to disperse.

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Pittsburgh Bureau of Police reviewing forcible arrest near PPG Paints Arena The Pittsburgh police bureau is reviewing several officers’ forcible restraint of a 47-year-old man late Tuesday near PPG Paints Arena, city public safety spokewoman Sonya Toler said. Video captured at the scene appears to show an officer repeatedly striking Daniel T. Adelman of Ravenna, Ohio, who also appears to be subdued on the ground with a Taser. The footage, apparently captured by a bystander, has been circulating via social media. None of the five officers involved in the matter has been placed on leave, Ms. Toler said. She said the incident began around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, when officers spotted warrant suspect David Jones, 34, near Lemieux Place and Centre Avenue, Uptown. Mr. Jones was wanted on a warrant out of Cranberry on forgery charges — and had previously fled from a Pittsburgh officer who attempted to serve that warrant, Ms. Toler said in a statement. “As officers were taking Jones into custody, a man later identified as [Adelman] attempted to interfere with the arrest,” she said. “He was forcibly taken into custody and is in the Allegheny County Jail on charges of obstructing the administration of law, resisting arrests, and public drunkenness.” Ms. Toler said the city police bureau began an internal review Wednesday of the use of force. The city’s Office of Municipal Investigations and Office of Professional Services are reviewing the incident as well, she said. Elizabeth Pittinger, executive director of the Citizen Police Review Board, said her office has opened an inquiry into the incident. “I think it’s very unfortunate that whatever the facts were, it will be colored by their language and their ferocious efforts to take this person into control,” she said. The facts of the incident are not yet clear, she said, but the video raises some immediate questions. “For the public to see these officers engaged in that type of violence is disconcerting, it’s always disconcerting,” she said. “It might have been less offensive if the language didn’t enhance the entire thing.” The woman who posted the video on Facebook, Joce Smith, said her cousin took the video and se

[stephanbroadus]

Former OMI chief Walker collapses at event, dies

Former OMI chief Walker collapses at event, dies

DEBORAH WALKER

Calling her a warrior in social justice and a friend, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto took to Twitter to note that Deborah Walker, who worked her way from University of Pittsburgh police officer to chair of the city’s Citizens Police Review Board to managing the city’s Office of Municipal Investigations, had died after collapsing at an event she was emceeing.

“She walked a very…

[insanethrottlebikernews]

Pittsburgh Cops Assaulting Members of Pagans MC

Pittsburgh Cops Assaulting Members of Pagans MC

A new report from Pittsburgh’s Citizens Police Review Board paints a troubling picture of the behavior of four undercover officers during and after an incident at Kopy’s Bar on the South Side in 2018.According to the report, released Tuesday, Detectives David Honick, Brian Burgunder, David Lincoln and Brian Martin consumed dozens of alcoholic drinks — ranging from 7 to 19 each — while surveilling…

[mellowbelieverllama-blog]

Citizens board: Video backs cop in Steelers’ coach arrest

Citizens board: Video backs cop in Steelers’ coach arrest

PITTSBURGH — The director of the Pittsburgh Police Citizens Review Board says video of the arrest of Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter supports an officer’s version of the events, including that Porter grabbed the officer’s wrists, rendering him defenceless.

Porter’s attorney is declining comment on executive director Elizabeth Pittinger’s comments.

The Allegheny County district attorney…

[casorasi]

Chief defends cop after Steeler coach's arrest is questioned

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The city's acting police chief is defending an officer who arrested Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter outside a bar after the independent Citizens Police Review Board confirmed it's investigating the incident. Chief defends cop after Steeler coach's arrest is questioned

[brajeshupadhyay]

Pittsburgh’s mayor says he has “serious concerns” over the tactics used in the arrest of a 25-year-old protester on Saturday, CBS Pittsburgh reports. Matthew Cartier was purportedly seen in video posted on social media being arrested and put into an unmarked van by armed officers after he allegedly interfered with public safety. The arrest took place Saturday around 5 p.m. in the Oakland neighborhood, where Cartier was allegedly blocking an intersection that is used for hospitals and the University of Pittsburgh. The Associated Press noted that Commander Ed Trapp of the Special Deployment Division said that Cartier was directing vehicles “with no situational awareness” and feared a traffic incident might happen. AP said about 150 people were part of the march that began about one hour and 45 minutes before the arrest. “The idea was a surgical maneuver to remove the person that was the problem and allow the main protest march to continue, which in fact it did,” Trapp explained Sunday. Sergeant Donald Mitchell of the Civil Affairs unit also said Saturday was a “move-in day for the University of Pittsburgh, so traffic was extremely heavy.” Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said he had “serious concerns” over the use of what police referred to as a “low visibility arrest.” CBS Pittsburgh said the mayor found out about the arrest “moments” after it had happened. “… That imagery, what people saw, scared them because they don’t believe that’s part of what Pittsburgh is,” Peduto said Sunday. “They saw officers getting somebody and throwing them into a van, and they ask ‘Why?’ and they’re right to ask ‘Why?'” Police on Sunday said they chose to apprehend the protester this way to prevent a crowd from gathering around the arrest, which could “incite them further.” During Sunday’s press conference, Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said more than 100 demonstrations have taken place in Pittsburgh since the death of George Floyd and most happen on a weekly basis, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Safety officials have said that the gatherings have become increasingly unsafe.   In response to the arrest, the mayor tweeted Saturday night that the city and the ACLU worked together in creating codes to enforce the public’s safety. Peduto also said officials will “fully examine operations taken by Pittsburgh Police.” “The right to assemble is a guaranteed right, the right to shut down public streets, is a privilege. That privilege is sanctioned by laws and codes,” the mayor wrote. “In Pittsburgh, we worked w ACLU & [Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board] to create our codes.” Just a quick reminder of Constitutional rights. They have restrictions. The right to assemble is a guaranteed right, the right to shut down public streets, is a privilege. That privilege is sanctioned by laws and codes. In Pittsburgh, we worked w ACLU & CPRB to create our codes. — bill peduto (@billpeduto) August 16, 2020 But the ACLU said Sunday that officers were “in clear violation of their own guidelines.” “According to those who were there, the law enforcement officers involved made no effort to work with protest leaders to clear the area and gave no clear dispersal order,” Witold Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, said in a statement. “Instead, they tricked a protest leader to approach them and then whisked him away. The ACLU of Pennsylvania has never suggested that the snatch-and-stash arrest of a peaceful demonstrator is ever acceptable.” CBS Pittsburgh said Cartier is facing charges of obstruction of a highway or other public passage, disorderly conduct and failure to disperse. https://ift.tt/31XSDiv The post Pittsburgh mayor has “serious concerns” over protester’s arrest by police in unmarked van appeared first on Shri Times News. from WordPress https://ift.tt/2Q4Hhnf

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/08/pittsburgh-mayor-has-serious-concerns.html

[tasod]

Citizens board: Video supports officer in Joey Porter arrest

PITTSBURGH (AP) – The director of the Pittsburgh Police Citizens Review Board says video of the arrest of Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter supports an officer’s version of the events, including that Porter grabbed the officer’s wrists, rendering him defenseless. Citizens board: Video supports officer in Joey Porter arrest

[ontapsportsapp]

Joey Porter: Two Witnesses Claim He Did Nothing Wrong, Citizen Police Review Board to Investigate - The Big Lead

Washington Post

Joey Porter: Two Witnesses Claim He Did Nothing Wrong, Citizen Police Review Board to Investigate The Big Lead Joey Porter, assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was arrested outside a Pittsburgh bar on Sunday night. The officer who arrested him, Paul Abel, was reportedly off-duty working at another assignment nearby and went to the Flats. Officer [Paul ... Mike Tomlin: Joey Porter's arrest not a distraction to SteelersUSA TODAY all 299 news articles »

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