Violent Pittsburgh Police Arrest To Be Probed

PITTSBURGH, PA - Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is promising an independent review of a violent confrontation between five officers and a man arrested late Tuesday near PPG Paints Arena. A cellphone video of the incident appears to show a man who attempted to intervene in the arrest of another man being struck repeatedly in the head by an officer while he was on the ground.

The incident, which involved five police officers, culminated in the arrest of David Jones, who was being arrested on an outstanding warrant on forgery charges, and Daniel T. Adelman of Ravenna, Ohio.Jones was charged with flight to avoid apprehension and resisting arrest; Adelman was charged with obstruction, resisting arrest and public drunkenness.

According to an affidavit written by Officer Andrew Jacobs, Jones was on the ground after forcefully resisting being taken into custody by the officers when Jacobs noticed a male (Adelman) running toward them. Jacobs said he jumped to his feet and identified himself as a police officer.

When Adelman didn’t stop advancing and began to take a fighting stance, “in fear he was going to strike myself or the other officers, I struck the male in the face to halt his attacking and advancing nature,” Jacobs wrote.

After Adelman was thrown to the ground, Jacobs wrote that he had one hand beneath his body and was grabbing at his face and shirt. Not knowing if Adelman had any weapons on him, Jacobs wrote, “I delivered approximately 3-5 closed fist strikes to the male’s face.”

Another officer ultimately subdued Adelman with a Taser. The graphic video of the altercation, containing explicit language, has been posted on Facebook.

Peduto tweeted that city’s Office of Municipal Investigations and the Citizen Police Review Board will review the incident.

Screen capture via Facebook.