Police shoot, kill man in South Side Slopes
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A man was shot and killed by Pittsburgh police in the South Side Slopes on Wednesday.
The police shooting happened around 1:30 a.m. on Huron Street near Winters Park.
Pittsburgh police officers were called to the scene for a ShotSpotter alert. Once at the scene, they found a man outside a home. Ten minutes later, police shot the man.
First responders performed CPR on him and took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was later identified by the medical examiner as 26-year-old Austyn Cousins. Neighbors who spoke to KDKA-TV on Wednesday said he was a nice guy.
"This was always a safe neighborhood," Christine Svitek said. "This is like our little piece of heaven. For something like this to happen in your own backyard, it's extremely frightening."
Allegheny County police are now investigating if the man took out a gun and fired shots at the Pittsburgh police officers.
"We don't know that at this time, that's what we are investigating. We just don't know that," said Victor Joseph, assistant superintendent of the Allegheny County Police. "We don't know what precipitated the encounter."
"We're very early on in the investigation. We're looking for any video out there. If you have any information, call our tip line," Joseph added.
The Pittsburgh police officer involved in the shooting is on paid administrative leave. No officers were hurt in the shooting