PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Stanton Heights home where three Pittsburgh police officers were shot and killed while responding to a domestic dispute call in April of 2009 is set to be demolished Monday, bringing down a painful reminder for the community.

It’s been more than two years since the three police officers were gunned down at the home on Fairfield Street. Now, in a matter of hours, the house will be torn down.

“I’m glad it’s going to come down. It brings back too many bad memories,” said one neighbor. “It’s been over two years, so the sooner the better.”

The house – which was owned by the family of Richard Poplawski, who was convicted in the shootings earlier this year – was sold in a sheriff’s sale for about $3,000.

JP Morgan Chase donated the house to the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, which scheduled the demolition to begin at 7 a.m. Monday.

“It will be nice not looking at the house over there, but as I’ve always said, all we have to do is close our eyes and it happens all over again,” another neighbor added.

Many of the people living on the street were there that fateful April morning when Pittsburgh Police Officers Eric Kelly, Stephen Mayhle and Paul Sciullo II were killed, making it even tougher to look at the house every day.

“We witnessed everything,” a resident said. “I wish it was down now.”

The demolition process shouldn’t take long, several hours at best. Then, the cleanup process can begin, bringing the neighborhood another step closer to healing, which has been a very long road.

Once the house is gone, some neighbors say they would like to see trees and grass planted on the grounds, but not the building of a a playground or a memorial.

“No playgrounds, no memorials – it’s still within us, but the house will be gone,” a neighbor added.

RELATED LINKS:
Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office
Poplawski House To Go Up For Sheriff’s Sale Monday
Bank Buys Poplawski House At Sheriff’s Sale
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