North Versailles officer remains on job following profanity-laced tirade caught on video
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The officer seen in a video launching into a profanity-laced tirade after a woman allegedly struck his car told his side of the story to officials in North Versailles on Wednesday.
The officer, whose identity has not been disclosed, met with two township commissioners and the police chief just a day after KDKA-TV was first to publish video from his confrontation with the woman.
The woman is accused of crashing into the back of his personal car that his daughter's grandmother was driving on Sunday evening. The officer told township leaders he was waiting for her to drop off his daughter in front of the North Versailles Township Building. When the woman allegedly drove off, the officer chased her down and caught up with her before he delivered his tirade that was partially caught on video, then shared with KDKA-TV.
"Do you know who you just rear-ended?" the unidentified officer asked her. "A kid in the car. You stupid (expletive). Get back in the car right now you stupid (expletive) ... That's my kid. You could've killed someone. You stupid (expletive)."
The video was captured by somebody in the woman's car and shared with KDKA-TV.
One of the North Versailles Township commissioners, George Thompson, said the officer will remain on the job until at least June 16, when the group gathers for its next monthly meeting. And if any disciplinary action will be taken, it probably won't be that night either since the township solicitor will be out of town, KDKA-TV's Shelley Bortz reported.
Thompson told Bortz on Wednesday that the officer regrets using the language he was seen using in the video. Thompson called him a good officer, adding that he's never had any previous issues. He also said there might be more to the incident than has been revealed.
"(The officer) gave us his reasoning what happened," Thompson said. "There's more than meets the eye."
Bortz on Wednesday met with the attorney representing the woman, whose identity also has not been disclosed. He said he's still reviewing the case, but added that his client didn't deserve to be treated the way she was seen being treated in the video.
"Force is only necessary when force is necessary, and force just wasn't necessary," attorney Todd Hollis said. "The car was stopped, she had stopped, she had placed her hands on the steering wheel and at that point he could have obtained her identification and handled it with the insurance company."
