As activists rally, more Pittsburgh leaders urge charges in death of Antwon Rose II
Pittsburgh City Council joined a growing chorus Tuesday in calling for criminal charges to be filed in the police shooting of 17-year-old Antwon Rose II, publicly pressuring the Allegheny County district attorney as demonstrators again rallied in Downtown.
Five city council members, county Controller Chelsa Wagner and state Reps. Jake Wheatley and Ed Gainey assembled before some 100 marchers at the City-County Building, where police earlier closed two lanes of traffic during the morning rush. The leaders praised activists for demanding accountability in Antwon’s death June 19 in East Pittsburgh — and pressed them to keep up the fight.
“There’s no rhyme or reason why an unarmed AfricanAmerican, or anybody else, would be shot in the back three times. There’s no rhyme or reason for it,” said Mr. Gainey, a
Democrat from LincolnLemington, urging law enforcement authorities to discipline their own.
Only then can the community trust the police, he said.
Councilwoman Deborah Gross pitched collaboration across municipalities, calling for regional work on police-community relations. Separately, city council members R. Daniel Lavelle and Ricky Burgess said police departments countywide should undergo antibias and reconciliation training already used by Pittsburgh officers.
East Pittsburgh Borough is a separate municipality from Pittsburgh.
“No matter the color of our skin, we are responsible for each other. We’re responsible to each other,” Ms. Gross said. “It’s our job to take care of each other.”
Reached later by phone, S. Lee Merritt, an attorney representing Antwon’s family, said his relatives are grateful.
“The overwhelming support of the community has been really, really encouraging to the family,” Mr. Merritt said. Relatives hope county District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. is impartial in his investigation and will prosecute Michael Rosfeld, the East Pittsburgh officer who opened fire when Antwon fled a traffic stop after a drive-by shooting in North Braddock, the attorney said.
A lawyer for Mr. Rosfeld, who remains on leave from the East Pittsburgh police force, could not be reached Tuesday.
At the Black Political Empowerment Project, CEO Tim Stevens asked Mr. Zappala to turn over the matter to the state Office of Attorney General. Local prosecutors can face conflicts because they depend on police collaboration and relationships to prosecute other cases, Mr. Stevens said.
But a statement from Zappala spokesman Mike Manko argued that county investigative resources “are more than capable of handling any homicide case.” State Attorney General Josh Shapiro said he could investigate Antwon’s death only if Mr. Zappala refers the case.
In the meantime, Mr. Manko has said Mr. Zappala won’t publicly address the investigation before the grieving process ends. As of Tuesday evening, the office had not announced a specific timeline for that.
Activists bristled at the district attorney’s office and shouted for his ouster during the protest Tuesday morning. It marked the fifth major demonstration over Antwon’s death, starting this time in the Hill District and moving through Downtown as commuters arrived for work.
At one point, marchers formed a circle and halted traffic at Grant Street and the Boulevard of the Allies. Tensions flared briefly when an angry woman emerged from a blocked car. “You can’t get by, but did you die?” demonstrators hollered back.
Moments of silence punctuated their calls for Officer Rosfeld’s prosecution.
“It’s emotional right now because so many of my peers do not think these problems exist,” said protester Carrie Wilmer, 28, of East Liberty. “Being silent and not active is part of why this problem still exists.”
In a related matter, Pittsburgh police said they had identified the person suspected of driving a car through a group of protesters Friday night near PNC Park. Police said two people suffered minor injuries. No charges had been filed, and investigators asked witnesses or anyone with information about the incident to call them at 412-255-2827.
As protests continue, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said he would allow gatherings within public rights of way and encourage communication between organizers and the city. He expects the activity to continue through the summer, he has said. Earlier this week, Mr. Peduto and the Pittsburgh BlackElected Officials Coalition encouraged a jury trial for Officer Rosfeld.
Coordination between protesters and authorities has been minimal thus far, according to Wendell Hissrich, the city’s public safety director. He said the city has assisted protesters who block streets, even though such action requires a permit, because officials want to ensure safety while respecting First Amendment rights.
They are making judgment calls to determine where they will allow protesters, Mr. Hissrich said.
But “if we have at least some cooperation, we can make sure that the protest is safe,” he said.
Staff writers Karen Kane and Andrew Goldstein contributed.