Jury being seated in ex-officer’s trial
Jury selection began Monday in the federal civil rights trial of Stephen Matakovich, a former Pittsburgh police sergeant charged with using excessive force against an intoxicated man at Heinz Field and then lying about it in his report.
Mr. Matakovich is accused of beating Gabriel Despres in 2015 in an incident that was captured by a video surveillance camera.
The case represents one of the relatively rare occasions when federal criminal charges have been brought in the Western District of Pennsylvania against a police officer. The case originally was filed in state court, but the federal government took it over following an agreement between the offices of the U.S. attorney and the Allegheny County district attorney.
Stadium security camera footage shows Mr. Matakovich shoving Mr. Despres, who was unarmed, and then punching him repeatedly outside the field during the WPIAL football playoffs. Mr.
Matakovich said at the time that Mr. Despres lunged at him and punched him as the officer tried to arrest him. But a federal grand jury said he did neither.
One key issue was resolved in September after Mr. Matakovich’s lawyer, former assistant U.S. attorney Tina Miller, argued that the count pertaining to obstruction of justice by falsifying the report should be thrown out because her client could not have known at the time that he would be subject to an FBI investigation.
But U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon rejected that request, saying that Mr. Matakovich, with 22 years of experience, would have known that the use of excessive force could lead to a Justice Department probe.
The judge also sided with the government last week when she ruled that no uniformed police officers will be allowed in her courtroom for the trial because she said they could unduly influence a jury. The defense and the police union objected, but the judge said she doesn’t let any uniformed officers in her courtroom on either side.
Ms. Miller declined to comment on any aspect of the trial. The U.S. Attorney’s office does not comment on pending cases.
Jury selection is expected to take several days. Testimony is slated to start next Monday.