Officer Robert Gowans Back On The Force After Being Reinstated With Penn Hills Police Department

PENN HILLS (KDKA) -- A local police officer who is accused of killing a man is back on the force for a second time.

Chief Howard Burton, Penn Hills Police Department, confirmed with KDKA, Robert Gowans, the officer under investigation for the killing of Romir Talley in Wilkinsburg has been reinstated at the PHPD and came back to work on Monday.

According to the chief, this decision was the result of an arbitration, which concluded towards the end of November.

Chief Burton, who does not possess the authority to make hiring decisions, told KDKA, Gowans filed a grievance through the Penn Hills police union following his termination in May.

According to the chief, the union argued illegal termination, claiming the municipality did not follow proper procedures during the termination process.

"The municipality and the police union sat down with a neutral arbitrator and told their side of the story of what they believe was correct," said the Chief.

The arbitrator ultimately ruled in favor of the police union.

Watch as KDKA's Chris Hoffman reports:

Gowans was fired from Penn Hills following community blowback over his hiring, as the officer remains under investigation for the shooting death of Romir Talley in December 2019, while working as an officer for the Wilkinsburg Police Department.

"His children no longer have a father, his mother no longer has a son, his family no longer has their uncle, their nephew, their cousin, he's dead. And this man is able to go from department to department and live his life," said Fawn Walker-Montgomery, CEO, Take Action Mon Valley.

Local advocates for police accountability, including Walker-Montgomery, who are close to the Talley family expressed being disturbed by the news and still question how the officer was initially hired by Penn Hills in the first place.

Kyna James, Coalition Organizer, Alliance for Police Accountability, told KDKA, "They either didn't care or weren't thorough in their hiring practices which both are problems because you're hiring someone to patrol our streets, to protect and serve."

Next week will mark two years since Talley died.

The Talley family has filed an excessive force lawsuit.

Officer Gowans has not been charged.

The case remains in the hands of DA Stephen Zappala.