Antwon Rose Shooting: Faith Leaders, Protesters Call For Harsher Punishment For Officer Rosfeld
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Faith leaders were out in the streets Sunday afternoon, joining a group that blocked traffic in East Liberty to rally for justice for Antwon Rose.
They took over the intersection of Highland and Penn avenues to make a statement about the police shooting of 17-year-old Antwon Rose.
A group from the faith-based community is protesting because East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfeld is not behind bars.
"No reason he should be walking around and free on bail on, quote unquote, 'house arrest,' while Antwon's mother has to suffer, while his father and friends have to suffer," Rev. Shanea Leonard of the Judah Fellowship Church said, "because this young man has been snatched away from his life."
Leonard says it's time for the faith-based community to send a message about police shootings.
"It was enough when it was Jordan Miles. It was enough when it was Leon Ford. It was enough when it was Pierre Whitehead," Leonard said.
Others say this is more than demonstration, but the beginning of a movement in the city.
"There's a lot of things that are not settled yet in this particular case and police brutality in general, so we have to keep going until we're done," Wasi Mohamedm, executive director of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, said.
Brock Bahler, a religious studies teacher at Pitt, brought his children. He wants them to realize civil rights is more than what's in a book.
"I want to see that in action. I want them to see that those books aren't just pages or paper, but that they are real issues that still matter today," he said.
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Meanwhile, demonstrators say they're making demands about Officer Rosfeld.
"We demand that the East Pittsburgh Police fire him immediately," Leonard said. "We demand that the judge revokes his bail."
They also want the charges changed from criminal homicide to first-degree murder.