September 17, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Crime and Police News, McKeesport and Region News
State Rep. Austin Davis, center, and State Sen. Jim Brewster (right, back to camera) participated in a peace walk through McKeesport July 6 following a police-involved shooting in East Pittsburgh. The McKeesport legislators have joined colleagues from Pittsburgh, Forest Hills and Mt. Lebanon to promote police reform legislation. (Vickie Babyak photo for Tube City Almanac)
In the wake of a police-involved shooting in East Pittsburgh that killed a 17-year-old and roiled the community, several local state legislators have unveiled a package of reform bills.
The legislation would be designed to improve police officer training and salaries; provide incentives for small municipalities to pursue regional police forces; encourage additional community oversight and recruitment of more diverse candidates to become police officers; and provide for an independent response team to investigate police shootings.
Backing the package of bills are state Sens. Jim Brewster of McKeesport, Jay Costa of Forest Hills and Wayne Fontana of Pittsburgh's Brookline neighborhood, along with state Reps. Austin Davis of McKeesport, Ed Gainey of East Liberty and Jake Wheatley of the Hill District.
“We need to do more to improve the training, quality and support of officers,” Costa said at a press conference last week. “But our improvements need to extend beyond police departments and into communities. I believe the package of bills we are working on can do that.”
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September 07, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Crime and Police News, McKeesport and Region News
State officials have awarded almost $150,000 to McKeesport police and partner agencies to create a program designed to reduce gun violence in the city.
The grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency was announced Friday by state Sen. Jim Brewster and state Rep. Austin Davis, both of McKeesport.
It will fund a new McKeesport Gun Violence Reduction Program designed by the office of Mayor Mike Cherepko, city police Chief Bryan Washowich, and other local and county leaders, including volunteers and churches.
The program will be modeled after successful strategies used in other cities to get illegal guns off the streets, a spokeswoman for the mayor's office said, and will work with young people in an effort to convince them not to resort to violence in the first place.
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August 30, 2018 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A Pittsburgh man is being held in the Allegheny County Jail after McKeesport police said he deliberately set a fire at the Crawford Village housing complex to retaliate against his former girlfriend.
Willie McKinnon, 58, no fixed address given, is charged by McKeesport police with aggravated arson, arson, endangering other persons, endangering property, causing or risking a catastrophe, making terroristic threats, stalking, recklessly endangering other persons, defiant trespassing and criminal mischief in connection with the Aug. 16 incident.
According to court records, McKinnon is jailed in lieu of $50,000 bond pending a preliminary hearing Sept. 10 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.
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August 29, 2018 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
A Hill District man has been arrested and charged in connection with a shooting in a Duquesne bar that led to another man's death.
Carl Jones, 27, was arrested on Tuesday by Allegheny County sheriff's deputies, a spokesman said. He is being held in the Allegheny County Jail without bond on charges of homicide and a firearms violation pending a preliminary hearing Sept. 9 before Allegheny County Judge Jeffrey Manning.
Jones was wanted by county police in connection with the death of Donnell Demery, 54, on Aug. 13.
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August 13, 2018 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
A Duquesne man died Monday morning following a shooting inside a bar on Kennedy Avenue.
Donnell Demery, 54, died of gunshot wounds to the torso and left leg, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office said. His death has been ruled a homicide.
Duquesne police said they were called to the shooting around midnight on Monday at the 1313 Bar. Officers and paramedics arrived and found the victim, identified as Demery, bleeding badly.
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August 02, 2018 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Crime and Police News, Duquesne News
Submitted photo: City of Duquesne Police, via Facebook
Allegheny County and Duquesne police are looking for a suspect in the shooting of a Duquesne man.
In a statement released on Facebook, Duquesne police said officers and paramedics were dispatched at 4:25 p.m. Wednesday to a home at the corner of Edith and Clark streets when callers reported a man in his late 20s who had been shot.
The victim, whose name was not released, was taken to a trauma hospital, where he was in stable condition, a county police spokesman said. Duquesne police said the victim's wounds are not expected to be fatal.
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July 28, 2018 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News
An East Pittsburgh man is being in held in the Allegheny County Jail after police allege he assaulted a 16-month-old child.
Jacob P. Coles, 23, is charged by Allegheny County police with aggravated assault of a child, endangering the welfare of children and reckless endangerment and is awaiting arraignment. The incident happened Friday in McKeesport, police said.
Allegheny County police Lt. Andrew Schurman said the toddler was taken to UPMC McKeesport hospital Friday night before being transferred to Children's Hospital of UPMC in Lawrenceville. Schurman said doctors believe the child was suffering injuries consistent with an assault.
Police allege that Coles struck the child. A preliminary hearing has been tentatively scheduled for Aug. 6 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.
July 28, 2018 |
By Submitted Report | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A woman has died following a one-vehicle crash late Thursday night on West Fifth Avenue in the city's lower 10th Ward.
The victim was identified by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office as Lori Mula, 48, of Pittsburgh. The medical examiner's office said Mula died Friday morning after being taken by ambulance to the hospital. The cause and manner of her death is still pending.
McKeesport police are investigating. No further information has been released.
July 26, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Crime and Police News
A McKeesport woman was arrested after police allege she attempted to run over someone she had been having an argument with, but hit a bystander instead.
Jakiia Williams, 32, is being held in the Allegheny County Jail pending formal arraignment, said Lt. Andrew Schurman of the Allegheny County police homicide unit. Charges against Williams include attempted homicide.
The 72-year-old man who was struck remains in critical condition with "life-threatening" injuries at a hospital, Schurman said. The victim's name was not released.
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July 26, 2018 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: Crime and Police News, White Oak News
Five people, including members of a White Oak family connected with several local real estate developments, have been accused by state Attorney General Josh Shapiro of running an illegal video gambling operation for more than 30 years.
Robert Biros, 83, of White Oak; his sons, John M. Biros, 56, of McKeesport and Andrew R. Biros, 52, of Greensburg; and his daughter, Christine A. Biros, 55, of White Oak are charged with multiple counts, including violating state gambling laws and criminal conspiracy.
Also facing charges is Alfred J. McCauley Jr., 63, of Plum.
“These defendants raked in millions of dollars in illegal profits, draining money from Pennsylvanians --- and from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” state Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Thursday afternoon in a prepared statement. “These video poker machines --- with the lure of the cash payout --- are illegal gambling devices. Working with our partners in the Pennsylvania State Police, we’ve shut it down.”
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