Attorney: Officers acted appropriately in PNC Park case
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A Fraternal Order of Police attorney said today that a use-of-force instructor at Pittsburgh's police academy had viewed a video of a Saturday night arrest at PNC Park and determined that officers followed proper procedure when they used a Taser and nightsticks to subdue a fan.
Later, however, police spokeswoman Diane Richard said no determination had been made on the review of the incident, and she would not confirm the comments of FOP attorney Bryan Campbell.
Mr. Campbell said Detective Francis Rende and Officer Jeffrey LaBella were following the "use of force continuum" when they arrested 41-year-old Scott Ashley, whose preliminary hearing in the case was postponed this morning until next month.
The continuum gives police officers standards of how much force should be used against a person who resists or is unruly.
Mr. Ashley's encounter with police was captured on video and posted on YouTube. That prompted police and the Citizen Police Review Board to look into the arrest.
The video shows the officers stunning Mr. Ashley with a Taser to no effect before using their nightsticks.
Mr. Ashley's attorney, Fred Rabner, said that despite Mr. Campbell's contentions, questions remain about the officers' actions and Mr. Ashley's.
Mr. Rabner said Mr. Ashley was excited to be at the Pirates game against the Colorado Rockies and "just wanted to watch the game" before park personnel enlisted the help of police to have him ejected.
"Obviously the event my client was charged in was not what people have seen in the videos but what happened before," Mr. Rabner said.
First Published April 14, 2011 10:01 am
