People Upset Over Police Shooting Of Man Who Stabbed K-9

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- People expressed anger over the police shooting of a Wilkinsburg man who fatally stabbed a police dog at a Port Authority Board Meeting Friday.

It was Jan. 31 when two Port Authority Police officers got into an altercation with 60-year-old Bruce Kelley and his 37-year-old son Bruce Kelley Jr. It would end with Kelley Jr. being shot and killed by police after he stabbed a police dog to death.

Many felt that people were more upset about the K-9 officer that had been fatally stabbed than the human suspect who was killed.

It was a full house in the fifth floor Port Authority conference room, as ten people who had signed up to speak had their three minutes.

"Ultimately, because we are always about what happens in the future, (we hope) that they would change their policy about the use of police dogs period, that they do not use them any longer, and their policy would reflect that," said Brandi Fisher with the Alliance For Police Accountability. "Also, that they would find that the police officer did not need to use the dog in that instance, so that killing was not justified."

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Several people echoed the sentiment that the officers did not need to kill the suspect.

"This is a public institution that needs to serve the public, the Port Authority Police need to serve to the public, to do so they need the proper training," said Helen Gerhardt with Pittsburghers For Public Transit

Dell Vann with Black Lives Matter felt that race took part in the shooting.

"It is an atmosphere of hatred, its an atmosphere of prejudice, and it is an atmosphere of racism ingrained over time. This is one of the reasons why Bruce Kelley is no longer here," Dell said.

Port Authority Chairman Bob Hurley responded to the angry fraction's point of view.

"We recognize that Bruce Kelly Jr. Lost his life and it's a tragic situation, until we have a full report of the D.A., the board is in a position to not know the full circumstances. Therefor, we are not prepared to issue any comment as to what happened or what didn't happen," Hurley said.

The officer who fired 12 shots at Kelley Jr. is on paid leave.