Current:Home > NewsOfficer fired after man’s 2021 death following stun gun use ordered reinstated by arbitrator-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Officer fired after man’s 2021 death following stun gun use ordered reinstated by arbitrator
lotradecoin payouts View Date:2024-12-25 21:24:47
PITTSBURGH (AP) — An arbitrator has ordered the reinstatement of a Pittsburgh police officer fired following the death of a man a day after officers used a stun gun on him during an arrest.
The ruling Friday came nearly two years after the city announced its intention to fire the officer and several others in connection with the October 2021 death of Jim Rogers.
The 54-year-old homeless man, stopped after a report of a bicycle theft from a home, was hit with a stun gun repeatedly over several minutes before he was taken into custody. He became unresponsive in a police car and was pronounced dead at a hospital. The medical examiner ruled the death accidental and resulting from a lack of oxygen to the brain.
Bob Swartzwelder, president of the union representing city police, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that after the officer’s March 2022 termination, the appeal went to a three-member arbitration panel comprised of one city arbitrator, an arbitrator from the police union and a neutral arbitrator, whose decision must be upheld by one of the others.
Friday’s ruling said the officer should be reinstated with back pay and benefits and face no discipline.
Swartzwelder called the death of Rogers “unfortunate” but said he died “for others reasons than police actions.”
The mayor’s office said in a statement that the city is “deeply disappointed” by the ruling, citing the officer’s admission of having violated policies, but did not indicate whether an appeal was planned.
“Our city deserves a police bureau that prioritizes treating every resident with dignity and respect and we deserve a system where our officers can be held accountable for their actions,” the statement said.
The Pittsburgh branch of the NAACP said the decision has “sparked justified outrage and profound disappointment.”
No officers were charged in connection with Rogers’ death. The city had said it intended to fire five officers and discipline several others, but almost all settled for lesser penalties and returned to work, although two retired before any official discipline. One firing and one suspension were sent to arbitration.
The city last year settled a federal lawsuit with Rogers’ estate for $8 million.
veryGood! (16927)
Related
- Australian Olympic Committee hits out at criticism of controversial breaker Rachael Gunn
- Awaiting Promised Support From the West, Indonesia Proceeds With Its Ambitious Energy Transition
- A man and a woman are arrested in an attack on a former New York governor
- TikToker Taylor Rousseau Grigg Detailed Health Struggles in One of Her Final Videos Before Her Death
- Wisconsin’s Evers urges federal judge not to make changes at youth prison in wake of counselor death
- TikToker Taylor Rousseau Grigg’s Husband Speaks Out After Her Death
- When do new episodes of 'Love is Blind' come out? Day, time, cast, where to watch
- On wild Los Angeles night, Padres bully Dodgers to tie NLDS – with leg up heading home
- Video shows 2 toddlers in diapers, distraught in the middle of Texas highway after crash
- Mistrial declared again for sheriff accused of kicking shackled man in the groin
Ranking
- A fiery Texas politician launched a legal assault on Google and Meta. And he's winning.
- A man and a woman are arrested in an attack on a former New York governor
- Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Mom Janice Defends Him Against “Public Lynching” Amid Sexual Abuse Allegations
- Taylor Swift's Net Worth Revealed After Becoming a Billionaire
- Video shows 2 toddlers in diapers, distraught in the middle of Texas highway after crash
- What NFL game is on today? Saints at Chiefs on Monday Night Football
- Opinion: Kalen DeBoer won't soon live down Alabama's humiliating loss to Vanderbilt
- Ex-Delaware officer sentenced to probation on assault conviction
Recommendation
-
Wisconsin’s Evers urges federal judge not to make changes at youth prison in wake of counselor death
-
Authorities are investigating after a Frontier Airlines plane lands with fire in one engine
-
SpaceX launch: Europe's Hera spacecraft on way to study asteroid Dimorphos
-
Meghan Markle Turns Heads in Red Gown During Surprise Appearance at Children’s Hospital Gala
-
State, local officials failed 12-year-old Pennsylvania girl who died after abuse, lawsuits say
-
South Korean woman sues government and adoption agency after her kidnapped daughter was sent abroad
-
A man and a woman are arrested in an attack on a former New York governor
-
Olivia Munn Details Journey to Welcome Daughter Méi Amid Cancer Battle