Pittsburgh Police To Be Probed For Excessive Use Of Force

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Department of Public Safety will commission an independent Use of Force Review after a use of force encounter during an arrest made Saturday on Smithfield Street at Strawberry Way.

Videos circulating online show several officers holding down a suspect, with one of them repeatedly punching him.

Public safety officials said said the commission will conduct the review "to ensure that Pittsburgh Police are adhering to current policy, national best practices, and that the Bureau's academy and in-service training continues to reflect its commitment to serving our communities in a safe, fair, and equitable manner.

"The Gainey Administration, the Department of Public Safety, and City Council are taking this encounter, and the considerable community concern it has generated, extremely seriously and are reviewing all available video footage and gathering as much information as possible pertaining to the incident."

The NAACP's Pittsburgh branch the Black Political Empowerment Project and the Alliance For Police Accountability issued a joint statement condemning the actions of the officers.

"The videos circulating on various platform vividly depict a scene where the officers employed extreme and unjustifiable force, raising serious questions about the proportionality of their actions as well as violation of impeding the right to video record," the release stated.

"Such actions are in direct contradiction of the principles of justice, equality and the protections of citizens' rights that should be upheld by those sworn to serve and protect our community."