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Pittsburgh police seek two men they say tried hitting officer with car
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Pittsburgh police were searching late Tuesday night for two men who were in a car that they said tried to run over an officer, who then fired his service weapon.
Major Crimes Lt. Dan Herrmann said Pittsburgh police received a call shortly before 5 p.m. for a report that a man who was wanted on several warrants out of the city and Wilkinsburg was at a home on Mellon Street in East Liberty. Police did not find him in the home but later spotted him riding in the passenger seat of a black Mazda with Indiana license plates.
Police followed the car as it turned onto East Liberty Boulevard and stopped at a light to turn left onto Negley Avenue about 5:45 p.m. The Mazda stopped behind a civilian car. Two marked police cars pulled up on the side of the suspect car and two pulled up behind it.
Officers turned on their lights, trying to hint that the civilian car should move out of the way. The confused driver stayed still for a moment, and an officer got out of a wagon that was sitting next to the suspect car and began motioning for the car to move.
When the civilian car moved, the driver of black Mazda revved his engine and headed toward the officer, police said. While the driver was making a left turn, the officer fired a shot that shattered the passenger seat window, where the suspect they were originally seeking was seated, Lt. Herrmann said.
Wilkinsburg police spotted the car about 7:45 p.m. on North Avenue near the intersection with Pitt Street. Blood stained the passenger seat. Neither the driver nor the passenger appeared to be nearby.
Lt. Herrmann said police did not know the driver's identity Tuesday night. Police did not officially release the name of the passenger, but sources identified him as 24-year-old Bennie Wilson, who has been known to frequent Wilkinsburg and the Hill District. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call 911.
First Published December 26, 2012 12:00 am
