Police Shooting Of Bank Robber Justified, Says D.A.
MT. WASHINGTON (KDKA) - The Allegheny County District Attorney has determined the deadly officer shooting of a bank robber was justified.
At 10:23 am on December 4th, surveillance video shows a man enter the First Niagara Bank on Shiloh St. in Mt. Washington. Police say that man was Raymone Davis of Mt. Oliver.
As he enters, Pittsburgh Police Officer Lisa Lusinski is at her post just behind a kiosk near the vault.
Davis, after looking around for a few seconds and possibly not seeing Officer Lusinski behind the kiosk, comes in and draws his weapon, which was stolen from Saltsburg, Westmoreland County.
"At the same time as he pulls the revolver Davis yells something to the effect, 'freeze, get on the ground, give me all your money, this is a robbery,'" said Allegheny County District Attorney Steve Zappala.
Officer Lusinski then responds, moving away from the concealment of the kiosk, looking first to see whether anyone else is behind the gunman.
The gunman meantime has taken a shooters stance. When the officer sees that, she makes the decision to fire.
The gunman though makes a turn to leave but that decision, according to the district attorney, came too late.
"She believes at that point he's trying to get a vantage point that he can take a shot at her," said Zappala. "And so she decided to shoot. At the time she decides he's going to shoot he's turning hard right. And he's on his way out the bank. He's exposed his left, his back generally. The left part of his back and he's hit."
Davis later died of his injuries.
"If we did not have the video then we're looking at somebody who's been shot in the back," said Zappala. "Either way I've determined either in defense of herself or defense of others that her use of deadly force was justified," Zappala said.
"There also provisions in the crimes code where in orde to apprehend a fleeing felon an officer is entitled to use deadly force if necessary. Under either statute I find that the officers actions were justified," said Zappala.
Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay called Lucinski a "typical Officer Friendly type" and says she acted properly.
"She was highly professional highly disciplined in her fire she was mindful of any danger her use of force might pose to those down range," said McLay. "Very restrained in the number of rounds and her follow through was textbook. So I'm very proud of what she did...I think she's doing well now. She will be doing much better after this press conference is done there's always angst because any officer involved shooting first starts with a criminal investigation and an administrative investigation. That process all by itself is stressful," the chief said.
