Homicide suspect seen in racist post on Instagram
The man accused in the fatal stabbing of another man outside a North Shore bar early Sunday appears to be in an undated, racially charged Instagram video.
The 16-second video appears to show Joden Rocco, 24, stating that he wanted to visit bars and see how many times he could use the N-word slur before the bartender would throw him out.
Mr. Rocco is charged with homicide and possessing an instrument of crime in connection with the death of an African American man, Dulane Cameron Jr., 24, of Monaca. Mr. Rocco is white.
During the video, a person who appears to be Mr. Rocco said he already had been thrown out of one bar. “We’re playing a game … how many times we can say [N-word] to the bartender before being kicked out.”
A spokesman for Pittsburgh police did not respond to
requests for comment about whether detectives had seen the Instagram post and whether it was part of their investigation of the slaying.
The incident involving Mr. Rocco and Mr. Cameron occurred just after 2 a.m. Sunday in the 300 block of North Shore Drive. The criminal complaint said surveillance video from Tequila Cowboy shows Mr. Rocco attempting to enter the restaurant’s Little Red Corvette bar. He was denied entrance and headed along North Shore Drive toward PNC Park where he encountered Mr. Cameron, who was walking with friend, Trei Hendon.
Police said Mr. Rocco was seen on surveillance videos bouncing on the balls of his feet as he walked along North Shore Drive and “appearing to be very aggressive,” when he “all of a sudden” began attacking Mr. Cameron.
Mr. Cameron was stabbed in the neck and died.
Mr. Rocco was seen on the videos hiding in the bushes outside Stage AE. Police said a pocket knife was found there. He was taken into custody after flagging down an officer to give him a ride home to the North Hills and then being identified by a witness.
Mr. Rocco, who was being held at the Allegheny County Jail, has been arrested several times in the past four years on charges ranging from public drunkennessto simple assault.
He faces a preliminary hearing on the homicide charge on Aug. 31.