Murder Suspect Found Living In Braddock Halfway House

BRADDOCK (KDKA) -- Back in September, 26-year-old Phillip Harrison ran for his life but was gunned down during a foot chase in the Hill District.

Tuesday afternoon, Pittsburgh police charged 23-year-old Rudy Davis with Harrison's homicide.

Surprisingly, detectives found Davis at a Braddock halfway house where he had been living at the time of the murder -- a concern to Braddock Mayor John Fetterman.

According to court records, Davis had recently been in prison on drug and gun charges and leading police on a car chase.

He had apparently been serving out the remainder of that sentence at the halfway house run by Gateway Rehabilitation Institute on a contract from the state Department of Corrections.

Gateway Director Ken Ramsey says the program is for non-violent offenders who work during the day and stay there at night. Ramsey says the program has a strong track record of turning offenders around.

"We are deeply troubled by this. We would never knowingly house anyone who had committed a crime during their time with us. We have developed a reputation of trust with the community and to the extent that has been damaged, we are truly sorry."

But Fetterman says the program has become a nuisance and pointed out a garbage-strewn lot in the back of the building.

Rudy Davis is in the Allegheny County Jail, but his arrest on homicide charges is cause for concern about the halfway houses and work release centers that dot our communities.

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