Man Claims State Trooper Assaulted Him On Parkway East
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A local man says he was assaulted by a Pennsylvania State Trooper on the Parkway East.
"I can't believe that a state trooper – if this really is a state trooper – would behave like a gangster," Valdez Thompson said.
Driving on the Parkway East, Thompson said a man driving a Crown Victoria pulled up beside him, identified himself as a police officer and using a racial epithet, ordered him to pull over.
Thompson says the man gave no reason why he pulled him over and that matters got worse.
"He started screaming at me and I went to say something to him – that's when I seen him pull out the gun from his left side and put it right in my mouth – he shoved it in there," Thompson recalled. "I put my hands up … 'Just calm down. I'll try to get the license for you.'"
Thompson says the man repeatedly refused to show him a badge and any kind of identification.
"I said, 'Sir, I have a right to see your identification if you're really an officer. If not, I'm getting on my cell phone and calling 9-1-1,'" Thompson told KDKA-TV. "He jumps in his car and pulls off."
Thompson then drove to the Zone 1 police station on the North Side and gave a statement to Pittsburgh police.
"We have allegations against one of our members at the time yes, but, believe me there's many conflicting details to this and that's why it's currently under investigation," State Police Lt. Tracy Futcher said.
State police say there are different sides to this story and they are investigating. Eventually, it may involve the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office.
