Timeline Outlines Events Leading To Officers Fatally Shooting Man In Homewood
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Allegheny County officials have released a timeline of the events that led to officers fatally shooting a man in Homewood early Sunday morning.
According to Allegheny County Police, two Pittsburgh Police officers began patrolling the area near Bennett Street and Frankstown Avenue at 1:11 a.m. Police say foot patrols are conducted in high crime areas of the city.
Shortly after the officers began their patrol, they saw a man in a blue jacket and a black-rimmed hat leave Bett's Market and start walking south on Brushton Avenue. Police say the man saw the officers, and "his subsequent behavior drew the officers' attention to the man." The officers began to walk south on Newman, parallel to the man who was walking south on Brushton.
Police say at 1:19 a.m., a black male in a dark blue jacket emerged from behind a building at the corner of Bennett and Newman and fired shots at the officers. One officer returned fire, and both officers started to chase the suspect down Newman and onto Bennett Street.
At 1:20 a.m., the officers relocated the suspect on Bennett Street and one officer again fired at the suspect. The suspect then fled west across Brushton Avenue into an adjacent lot.
Officers began to search for the suspect and found a blood trail at 1:24 a.m. With the assistance of a police canine, they followed the blood trail and found the suspect at the back of a home on Bennett Street at 1:27 a.m.
Police say the suspect was down and bleeding. Officers began to perform CPR and called 911 to tell them to expedite medical units.
"There is a report circulating out there that the police officers were beating on the individual in a back alleyway. They were actually conducting CPR on that individual," Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said.
Medical units arrived at the scene at 1:34 a.m. and transported the suspect to UPMC Presbyterian.
The suspect -- later identified as 39-year-old Mark Daniels -- was pronounced dead at the hospital at 2 a.m.
According to police, investigators found a .40 caliber semi-auto Glock pistol at the scene. They say the firearm will be tested by the Allegheny County Crime Lab.
Neither of the officers involved in the shooting were wearing body cameras.
The victim's family has said that they do not believe Daniels owned or carried a gun, and they say his mother was not allowed to see the victim at the hospital.
"I heard the family's concerns yesterday. They concern me," Mayor Bill Peduto said.
"I think the crux of it is to understand what was the behavior of that man walking down Brushton, and when he turned, did he initiate the gunfire? And hopefully we can put the questions of the community at rest with the final report," Elizabeth Pittinger with the Citizen Police Review Board said.
Pittsburgh Police placed the two officers involved on administrative leave while Allegheny County Police investigate.
Pittinger commends the county for responding quickly in an effort to restore community trust.
"We're talking about a community, a neighborhood that has been fraught with violence and bordering on despair. Who do you trust? Your neighbors? Police? Who can you trust?" she said.
Anyone who saw or heard anything related to this incident is asked to call Allegheny County Police at 1-833-ALL-TIPS (1-833-255-8477).
