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May 7, 2008 12:58 pm US/Eastern
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County Police, D.A. To Investigate Police Shooting
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
The investigation continues into what prompted a Pittsburgh police officer to shoot and kill a 19-year-old man in Mount Oliver Tuesday evening.
Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper says the actions of his officers were justified but the victim's family thinks the police went too far.
Police officers noticed 19 year-old Justin Jackson and thought he had a gun concealed in his clothing.
The canine officer and his dog along with another officer approached Jackson and ordered him to remove his concealed hand so it could be seen.
A witness describes what he saw.
"He had his hands in his pocket… pulled a gun out," said Terrance Christian. "It was a b.b. gun. He shot the dog with a bb gun, shot him twice in the head. That was crazy."
However, Chief Harper says the gun involved was a revolver.
Harper described the incident this way: "They asked him to remove his hand from under his clothing, at which time they observed a weapon. They did deploy the canine dog. The canine dog was fatally wounded by the subject, at which time the officers fired and also fatally wounded the subject."
Jackson's father offered another scenario about his son's role in the incident.
"He never had a weapon," said Donald Jackson. "When the dog was released onto Justin, that Justin was fighting the dog. It was the officer who fired the gun shooting the dog and Justin. This is what I'm hearing."
The police officer that was involved, a 12 year veteran of the police department and on the canine squad, is on administrative leave.
The dog that was involved, Ulf, was a six year veteran of the police department.
Chief Harper says Ulf was doing exactly what he was trained to do at the time of the shooting.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Police have turned the case over to the Allegheny County Police, who will do the primary investigation along with the district attorney's office to determine if this was as Chief Harper indicated last night a legitimate shooting.
Stay with KDKA for more details.
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