PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Calling out Police Brutality Results in More Police Brutality
by Electric Pig Friday, Dec. 09, 2005 at 11:19 AM

This past weekend marked yet another outrageous display of police brutality for the city of Pittsburgh.

This past weekend marked yet another outrageous display of police brutality for the city of Pittsburgh. Last Saturday night, December 3, on Carson Street in the South Side an unmarked police car hit a bicyclist and dragged the individual thirty feet before coming to a stop. The cop got out of the car, and rather than check on the bicyclist and call for medical help, pulled his gun at the individual lying on the ground.

A group of United Electrical Workers organizers walking down the street witnessed the bicyclist being hit and dragged by the cop car, and witnessed the cop pulling his gun on the cyclist. Horrified by what they had witnessed, they ran over and stepped between the bicyclist and the cop. They screamed “fascist pig!” and were also yelling about constitutional rights.

For calling out police misconduct, the witnesses were next to be brutalized. The cop started to arrest people, and tasered one individual three times. When that individual arrived at his holding cell, he was visited by a Federal agent who interrogated him about his background because he has a Middle Eastern-sounding name. Also, while in jail, those arrested learned that their friend hadn’t been the only person tasered in Pittsburgh that night; several people in that holding cell had also been shot with a taser.

While Pittsburgh Police are assaulting whomever they want in the streets, City Council is sitting on its hands and spouting weak criticisms, mainly that such atrocious actions carried out by cops are unfortunate. Ultimately, Council is not willing to do anything until a lawsuit is filed. While a lawsuit is definitely in order, it could take years to be resolved. We can’t let City Council get away with apathetically brushing aside the issue. While Council is sitting around doing nothing, people are getting beaten, tased, shot, and killed.

Some of those arrested on Saturday night will have their hearing on Monday, December 12, at 1pm. It is still unclear whether the bicyclist who was hit by the police car has been released.

We can’t let this happen in our city. We need to take action! whether it’s by calling City Council members, taking the streets, or doing whatever people see fit to express their outrage and effect this situation.

City Contacts:

Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy at (412) 255-2626
Pittsburgh director of Public Safety, Robert Kennedy (412) 255-2038

Pittsburgh City Council:
Doug Shields: 412-255-8965
Sala Udin: 412-255-2134
William Peduto: 412-255-2133
Twanda Carlisle: 412-255-2137
Luke Ravenstahl: 412-255-2135
Daniel J. Deasy: 412-255-8963
James Motznik: 412-255-2131

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