KDKA 2 - Station Info KDKA News Radio 1020 - Station Info 93-7 The Fan - Station Info Pittsburgh-CW-Logo

Latest News

Zappala On Larimer’s Woman’s Death: Police Actions Not Consistent With Training

View Comments
(Photo Credit: KDKA)

(Photo Credit: KDKA)

Harold Hayes

Reporting Harold Hayes

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Allegheny County’s top prosecutor says he has concerns about the way Pittsburgh Police handled the case that ended in the shooting death of a Larimer woman on New Year’s Eve.

But those concerns do not rise to the level of criminal action against the officers.

The Allegheny County District Attorney has now reviewed the Ka’Sandra Wade case and has reached this conclusion: that police actions that night were not consistent with their training.

“They should have continued to ask questions,” said District Attorney Stephen Zappala. “Their training would require that at that point, to the extent that they don’t get a satisfactory response or they have not had the chance to talk to the complainant, then they contact a supervisor.”

But the night Wade was killed; Zappala says none of that happened. Wade’s boyfriend, Anthony Brown, is accused in her death. Authorities say he later took his own life during a standoff.

Wade called 911, but when police responded, officers made contact with only the man. Here’s what the dispatch tape recorded:

“At some point, Officer Schweitzer says, ‘a male came to the window. He said everything’s okay. He refused to answer the inaudible questions. I’m back,’” Zappala said.

The call came in at 10:38 p.m. The first police car arrived 10 minutes later, and by 11:01 p.m., police left.

Brown left a message for police before he took his own life.

Zappala read the note to reporters: “I killed Ka’Sandra Wade on Dec. 31. I did not mean to kill her. I lost it. I can’t live with it. They had a chance to save her and they didn’t do it last night. They came and left. I did it right before midnight. May God have mercy on me.”

But the District Attorney says even if police had called a supervisor, he’s not sure a warrant to enter the house would have been issued.

“From the evidence, as I understand it, I don’t think a judicial officer based upon what I’m telling you guys that we know now, that I know now, that a judicial officer would issue a warrant for entry into that home,” Zappala.

Meanwhile, the city police department is conducting its own internal investigation.

RELATED LINKS:
Police, D.A., Citizens Review Board Launch Investigation Into Larimer Murder (1/7/13)
More Larimer NewsMore Local News

View Comments
  • http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2013/01/22/citizens-police-review-board-to-discuss-larimer-shooting-south-side-chase/ Citizens Police Review Board To Discuss Larimer Shooting, South Side Chase « CBS Pittsburgh

    [...] LINKS: Police Internal Affairs, D.A. & Review Board Probing South Side Incident (1/15/13) Zappala On Larimer’s Woman’s Death: Police Actions Not Consistent With Training (1/18/13) More Larimer News More South Side News Other Related Stories //// View [...]

blog comments powered by Disqus
Listen Live!

TV Schedule

Full Program Grid
7:00 PM CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley
7:30 PM omg! Insider
8:00 PM NCIS: Los Angeles
9:00 PM NCIS
10:00 PM NCIS
11:00 PM KDKA-TV News at 11
11:35 PM Late Show with David Letterman

Now On KDKA-TV:

follow us Now On KDKA TV: video on demand Now On KDKA TV: weatherbug small Now On KDKA TV: waitingchildsm Now On KDKA TV: ptls Now On KDKA TV: driving skills for l41d84c Now On KDKA TV:  Now On KDKA TV: heinzredzonerecipes3 Now On KDKA TV: hometownhighq Now On KDKA TV: 50261 pitts kdka local alleghenygeneralhospital extraeffort 140x85 2012 0817 Now On KDKA TV:

Select a Live Stream