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Pittsburgh police officers under investigation for handling of 911 call ask for lawyers
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Two Pittsburgh police officers whose handling of a 911 call is under internal investigation asked for legal representation during an interview with homicide detectives last week.
Bryan Campbell, attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 1, confirmed today that he sat in on interviews Thursday with officers Lance P. Hoyson and Louis R. Schweitzer about the 911 call made by a woman who was later found shot to death.
Mr. Campbell declined to discuss specifics of the interviews.
"They do it all the time when internal investigations are being done," Mr. Campbell said. "That's not uncommon."
Mr. Campbell said he was not present at interviews with any other officers, if there were any.
Police spokeswoman Diane Richard could not immediately be reached to confirm whether other officers were interviewed.
Officers Hoyson and Schweitzer responded to a 911 call Dec. 31 from Ka'Sandra Wade.
It is unclear whether the call came from a cell phone or a land line. There was an unknown disturbance on the line before the call was disconnected and officers were dispatched to Ms. Wade's house at 528 Lowell St. in Larimer.
When officers arrived they spoke to a man, later identified as Anthony L. Brown, through a window.
Mr. Brown told officers that everything was fine and they left without seeing or speaking with Ms. Wade, according to 911 logs of call.
The next night, Jan. 1, police found the body of Ms. Wade, 33, dead of gunshot wounds to the head and neck. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Later than night SWAT officers engaged in a standoff with Mr. Brown, 51, at his Point Breeze North apartment building.
Before Mr. Brown killed himself, he admitted to killing Ms. Wade, his girlfriend. He also tossed police a note that indicated his belief that officers could have saved Ms. Wade.
Police Chief Nathan E. Harper has said the police bureau is conducting a homicide and internal investigation into the incident.
First Published January 7, 2013 2:36 pm
