Independent review board opens inquiry into Pittsburgh police supervising after funeral shooting
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board opened an inquiry into the supervising of the Pittsburgh police after six people were injured during a shooting at a funeral in Brighton Heights. Police were requested to be there but did not show up.
Almost two weeks after the tragic shooting at a funeral in Brighton Heights, there is still the search for answers.
"We look at each situation differently. If there's a request and it falls through the cracks, that's something that has to immediately be looked at," Major Crimes Commander Richard Ford said.
Citizen Police Review Board Executive Director Beth Pittinger says they should have been there, request or not, "Simply because of the assessment of intergroup tensions which is critically important to keep everyone safe."
Ford said police have protected funerals in the past whether requested or not if there is the threat of violence. So why not this time?
"What we are obviously working on is making sure we have the right people, that we have checks and balances," he said during a weekly press briefing Thursday.
Mayor Ed Gainey said he couldn't comment on the ongoing investigation.
"When the time is right and the investigation is done, I'll definitely speak on it," he told reporters.
The review board said this latest incident is the one that broke the camel's back. Earlier this summer, officers did not show up after being requested for a youth football game in Homewood, and then there was a shooting nearby. There were also concerns by the board after two officers and a supervisor were fired for lying on their timecards. They feel this could be a sign of a systemic problem.
"I'm sure that they're just indicators. It's probably happening in other circumstances," Pittinger said.
That's why the review board is looking up the chain of command all the way to the assistant chief to find the issues. They want to know what needs to change to prevent incidents like these. The board feels the city should be better served by its police.
"There's no excuse for it and I would hope the bureau is assessing internally the capacity of their supervisory staff," Pittinger told KDKA.
This inquiry could take up to a month to complete. Police said they will work closely with the board and await their findings. No word yet on when the internal investigation by police could end.
