Man Guilty On 11 Of 12 Counts In K-9 Officer's Fatal Stabbing Case
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) –A man accused of fatally stabbing a Pittsburgh Police dog has been found guilty on 11 of 12 counts.
The verdict was read Monday afternoon. The only not guilty verdict was the burglary charge.
Deliberations started on Friday, but the jury was unable to reach a decision. At one point, the jury asked the judge whether John Rush's alleged flight from police can be considered a element in the charge of burglary. He's accused of breaking into the apartment building where the arrest took place.
Prior to reaching today's verdict, the jury hearing the case had three questions for the judge. The first dealt with the charge that he disarmed a sheriff's deputy who first encountered him.
The second dealt with the charges of flight and escape, and the third sought clarity on the issue of possession of a concealed weapon.
On Friday, Rush's mother was removed from the courtroom when a rebuttal witness contradicted the defendant's claim that he was living in Stowe Township.
At one point she yelled from the gallery, "My son is black. There's not one black juror on the jury. This isn't fair."
KDKA-TV's Harold Hayes spoke with her outside of the courtroom.
"My son perceives himself as being white because of the color of the pigment of his skin tone. My son in the black community would not be considered a bi-racial person. Realistically, yes, my son is bi-racial. Physical appearance? No, he does not look bi-racial. Nobody in the courts knew my son's father was black until Monday morning. And it seems like ever since they've realized my son is of mixed color this whole issue with the race has come into play," Renee Rush said.
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