3 Pittsburgh Officers Killed, 2 Injured

[CPDlife4ME]

PITTSBURGH -- Three police officers were killed and two others were injured in a shooting in Pittsburgh's Stanton Heights neighborhood Saturday morning, where as many as 70 to 80 rounds may have been fired.

WTAE Channel 4's Andrew Stockey reported at the scene that the man is identified as Richard "Pop" Poplawski, 23. Officers arrested Poplawski within the 11 a.m. hour.

"The negotiators were able to talk the actor out of the home. He was apprehended and he was taken into custody," Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Diane Richard said.

Shortly after 11:30 a.m., Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper said the man was armed with a high-powered assault rifle and a pistol, and he had a significant amount of ammunition.
Police said the man was hanging out his window, firing his weapon.

WTAE Channel 4's Bob Mayo reported that Poplawski was taken to UPMC Presbyterian with unknown injuries. The conditions of the injured officers, and the departments to which all the officers belonged were not immediately known. Richard said shortly before 10 a.m. that there was some difficulty in immediately reaching the officers who were shot.

Police said the man was hanging out his window, firing his weapon.

WTAE Channel 4's Bob Mayo reported that Poplawski was taken to UPMC Presbyterian with unknown injuries. The conditions of the injured officers, and the departments to which all the officers belonged were not immediately known. Richard said shortly before 10 a.m. that there was some difficulty in immediately reaching the officers who were shot.

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My prayers go out to both the injured officers and the families and friends of the slain officers. :(

Sorry to hear that the suspect is in custody and not in a meat locker! :mad:

[cjcrew022000]

I was just heard about this. What a horrible week it has been. Condolences to all the family and friends. I can't imagine what they are going through.

[greg72982]

RIP guys...

[pafindr]

R.I.P. Officers
Prayer go out to their families and those of the wounded.

[RoadDog1905]

Ah shyeesh. I know a lot of guys who use to work in the Pittsburgh-Metro area. I'm going to have to make sure none of my co-workers knew these guys. This stuff hits hard when you don't know a brother...

Your duty and sacrifice won't be forgotten.

[p0l1c3g1rl]

Update....

(CNN) -- Three Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, police officers became the first department fatalities since 1995 Saturday morning while responding to a domestic dispute call, Police Chief Nathan Harper said.

"We have never had to lose three officers in the line of duty at one time at one call," Harper said.

Suspect Richard Poplawski surrendered around 11 a.m. outside the Stanton Heights home he shares with his mother after a standoff that lasted nearly four hours and left two more officers injured.

Wearing a bulletproof vest and armed with an AK-47, a long rifle and a pistol, Poplawski fired about 100 rounds during the standoff, Harper said.

Poplawski was taken into custody after surrendering to law enforcement. He is expected to face charges of homicide, aggravated assault and other related offenses, Harper said.

Officer Paul Sciullo III, a 14-year veteran of the department, was the first to approach the home after responding to the scene around 7:05 a.m. He was shot in the head as he entered the doorway.

When Officer Stephen Mayhle tried to help his fellow officer, he too was shot in the head, Harper said.

Officer Eric Kelly, who rushed to the scene on his way home after finishing his shift, was fatally shot as he attempted to assist his fallen colleagues, Harper said.

The shootings triggered a standoff between Poplawski, who was shooting from his bedroom window, and law enforcement agencies from several jurisdictions, Harper said.

Poplawski opened fire at an Army SWAT vehicle that arrived around 8:30 a.m., preventing them and medics from reaching the wounded policemen.

Officer Timothy McManaway also was shot in the hand, the chief said. Another officer, Brian Jones, broke his leg while trying to get over a fence while securing the rear of the house, he said.

Some neighbors were evacuated during the standoff. Neighbors reported that the family had caused trouble before and Harper said police had responded to calls from the home two or three times.

[greg72982]

It gets better. Why were the police called you ask? Apparently the scumbag's dog pissed on the floor and the mother was mad. This caused an argument and she called the police to have him removed. Now there are three cops dead. :mad:

[stringbeanz]

Rip

[explcdt8]

It gets worse.


Apparently the lady who called 911 knew the suspect had guns in the house, and told the dispatcher that, but the dispatcher DID NOT GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO THE RESPONDING OFFICERS:mad:!!!

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09097/961068-53.stm

[patchcop]

RIP brothers

[Pookie44]

My thoughts and prayers sent..... RIP:( RIP:(

[greg72982]

Poplawski's statement, police reports detail Stanton Heights shootout
By Jill King Greenwood and Jeremy Boren
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, April 8, 2009


When Richard Poplawski learned the fourth victim of a deadly encounter at his Stanton Heights home survived with a wound to his hand, he callously responded, "Oh, I thought I got that one, too," investigators said Tuesday.

During interviews with police, Poplawski, 22, described how he fired extra bullets into the motionless bodies of Officers Stephen J. Mayhle and Paul J. Sciullo II "just to make sure they were dead," detectives said.

He thought about going out in "a blaze of glory" after fatally shooting a third officer, Eric G. Kelly, and exchanging gunfire with SWAT officers for nearly four hours, police say. But he surrendered so he could go to jail and "possibly write a book one day," detectives said.

He remains under "extremely close supervision" at the Allegheny County Jail, confined to an 8-foot-by-10-foot cell 23 hours a day with no access to newspapers, television or magazines, Warden Ramon Rustin said. He is allowed one hour out of his cell to shower and exercise.

Officials conceded yesterday that the suspect's mother told a part-time county 911 call-taker Saturday morning that there were weapons in the Fairfield Street home, but that information was never relayed to Kelly, Mayhle and Sciullo.

"I think that's one reason we have such a deep sense of loss: That one little comment would have changed the entire response," said Sgt. James Vogel, a police trainer and former instructor at the academy. The officers would have requested additional backup and asked for more details about the weapons, he said.

"That's sad news. We followed protocol. We did what we were supposed to do."

Police say Poplawski had a cache of weapons inside the house and used them on police. Investigators said they believe Mayhle, 29, on the job fewer than two years, got a couple shots off and wounded Poplawski in the legs.

County officials offered counseling to the 911 dispatcher. According to a recording, Margaret Poplawski reported in her 7:03 a.m. call there were weapons in the house, but the dispatcher failed to relay the information about weapons to a police dispatcher.

"There's no excuse. We are just so, so saddened by the manner in which this call was handled, and so sorry," said county Emergency Services Chief Bob Full. "I can't tell you how bad we all feel. ... If you could just take it back."

Rick Grejda, business agent for Service Employees International Union Local 668, which represents about 200 fellow dispatchers, said the case highlights a concern over using part-time employees.

"Any time you're dealing with part-time employees, you have to worry about what I just said — can they keep up?" he said.

The dispatcher was hired in November. She went through 320 hours of training, which took about 13 weeks to complete since she worked 24 hours a week. That means she started taking calls in late February or early March.

"This is our worst nightmare," said Grejda, a former 911 dispatcher.

Reviewing the case

The incident began with the 2-minute, 15-second 911 call from Richard Poplawski's cell phone. During the call, Margaret Poplawski complained her son was "intoxicated" and must have returned home from a night of drinking while she was sleeping.

"Does he have any weapons or anything?" the call-taker asked.

"Yes," the mother said, pausing. "They're all legal."

"OK, but he's not threatening you with anything?" the operator said.

"Look, I'm just waking up from a sleep," she replied. "I want him gone."

"OK, we'll send 'em over, OK?" the dispatcher said.

"Sounds good," the mother said.

Bob Harvey, 911 manager for the county, said he interviewed the dispatcher Monday morning. She did not recall Margaret Poplawski saying there were weapons in the house, Harvey said.

"I thought, this is bad. She does not even recall," said Harvey, who determined she might be suffering from post-traumatic stress. "I thought professionals need to handle her at this point.".

Harvey said she has been meeting with counselors while on paid administrative leave.

A man who answered the door at the dispatcher's home declined to answer questions and shut the door. A small, blue ribbon was tied to the mailbox in front of the home.

Deadly encounter

Police said Sciullo and Mayhle walked into an ambush at the home.

Poplawski and his mother gave conflicting accounts of what happened before the officers walked in.

Margaret Poplawski told investigators she answered the door, let the officers in and said, "Come and take his ***," according to a police affidavit. She said once Sciullo and Mayhle got about 10 feet into the living room, she heard gunshots and turned to see her son about 6 feet away with a rifle in his hand. She said she screamed "What the hell have you done?" and ran into the basement.

Richard Poplawski told detectives that he put on a bulletproof vest and got a shotgun, AK-47 and handgun before his mother opened the door to admit the officers and that she knew he was armed, investigators say.

Ballistic testing on the officers' weapons and Poplawski's AK-47 — as well as weapons used by other officers during the standoff — are not complete. But several investigators said they believe Mayhle shot Poplawski in the legs.

Poplawski told police his AK-47 jammed while SWAT officers were rescuing Kelly — who responded a few minutes after Sciullo and Mayhle — and Officer Timothy McManaway, who was shot in the hand. He switched back to using a shotgun, police said.

Poplawski surrendered about 10:45 a.m. He struggled with SWAT officers during the arrest, police said.

Detectives said they are investigating whether they can file charges against Margaret Poplawski.

Separately yesterday, District Judge Ron Costa issued a warrant for Margaret Poplawski's arrest for failing to pay a fine stemming from a 2005 offense, said Lt. Jack Kearney, of the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office. She was found guilty of summary harassment for spitting on her son's former girlfriend, Melissa Gladish, in 2005 and was fined $238.50, according to court filings.

The warrant was issued because she had only paid $138, according to court records. However, Kearney said last night that when deputies went to serve the warrant, Margaret Poplawski's mother paid the outstanding balance so that she would not be arrested.

Allegations of abuse, theft

Poplawski's relatives told reporters they believe police beat up Poplawski and stole money. Margaret Poplawski said police stole "$3,000 from the wallet in the purse." She said she was worried she might lose her job and needed the money.

Her mother, Catherine Scott, told relatives she feared officers beat her grandson after his surrender because his face appeared bloodied and bruised as he was carted off on a stretcher, an image she caught on a television broadcast.

"She just wanted to know how his face got that way," said Margaret Poplawski's cousin, Jean Devine of Harrison.

When told about the family's allegations, Pittsburgh police Deputy Chief Paul Donaldson said he wouldn't "dignify this accusation with a response."

Investigators said they believe Poplawski was squatting down and shooting out a window while holding the AK-47 above his head and was injured when the gun recoiled and slammed into the right side of his face.

Devine evicted Margaret Poplawski from her Meadow Street home Monday after an argument.

"If I saw my child buying guns, trading guns, stockpiling food and all that in my house, I would have some issues with it," said Devine, who wears a black ribbon on her blouse in honor of the slain policemen.

"What it came down to was that my heart is with the police officers who were killed, and not Richard."

Harrison police reported responding to a domestic disturbance call at Devine's house about 4:15 p.m. Monday. Authorities say Margaret Poplawski left peacefully after the altercation.

Changes in procedure

County Council's Public Safety Committee scheduled an April 15 hearing to discuss 911 procedures.

"We have to look at the policies and procedures that are currently in place in order to have a better understanding of how and why this happened," Councilman Jim Burn said.

Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said changes to the dispatch center's procedures must be made.

"While no system can account completely for human error, what is clear is that the 911 center did not work as it should have and now must take a very hard look at itself," Ravenstahl said.

County Executive Dan Onorato, who oversees county employees of the center, said he would reserve comment until Monday out of respect for funeral services for the officers.

Full, the emergency services chief, said he took steps to prevent another mistake, instructing dispatchers to ask specifically about what types of guns or other weapons are in the homes of 911 callers.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_619698.html

[greg72982]

Trial begins today

Richard Poplawski Trial: Latest Notes From Court
Pittsburgh Man Accused Of Killing 3 Officers In Stanton Heights
UPDATED: 1:24 pm EDT June 20, 2011

PITTSBURGH -- The man who's accused of shooting and killing three Pittsburgh police officers during a domestic call in Stanton Heights was labeled as a "coward" during the prosecution's opening argument Monday at the Allegheny County Courthouse.

Richard Poplawski was brought into Judge Jeffrey Manning's courtroom in handcuffs by county sheriff's deputies, while a separate crowd of spectators gathered in another room to watch a closed-circuit feed of his trial.

Poplawski is accused of killing Eric Kelly, Paul Sciullo II and Stephen Mayhle when the three police officers responded to a domestic dispute call at his mother's house in Stanton Heights on April 4, 2009. The incident ended with Poplawski's arrest after a three-hour standoff.

Deputy District Attorney Mark Tranquilli told the jury that the day of the shooting was "a day of cowards and heroes." The heroes were the officers, Tranquilli said, and Poplawski was the coward who waited for them to arrive while he wore a bulletproof vest and armed himself with a pistol, assault rifle and shotgun.

Tranquilli told members of the jury that they will hear from more than 50 witnesses, including SWAT team commanders, police negotiators, emergency dispatchers and law enforcement who took statements from Poplawski after his arrest.

In her opening argument, defense attorney Lisa Middleman told the jury that Tranquilli was trying to inject emotion into the case by referring to the officers as "fallen heroes" and Poplawski as a "coward," and she asked the jury to listen to the facts that will be presented during the trial.

One of the first witnesses Monday was a call-taker for Allegheny County 911. The jury listened to a tape of the 911 call made by Poplawski's mother, Margaret, in which the call-taker asked if there are any weapons in the house and Margaret Poplawski said, "Yes, they are all legal." Based on that exchange, the officers were -- incorrectly -- not told about the guns when they were dispatched to the house.

Because of extensive pretrial media publicity, the jury of 12 people was selected in Dauphin County and transported to Allegheny County. The jurors are being sequestered during the trial.

Manning said he’s prepared to hold long days of court -- six days a week, if necessary -- and he has lifted a longstanding gag order that prevented anyone involved in the case from making public comments.

Poplawski is charged with three counts of homicide. Prosecutors will ask for the death penalty if the jury finds him guilty of first-degree murder.

Court is in recess until 1:25 p.m. Here are the raw court notes by Bob Mayo from the morning proceedings:

Judge Jeffrey Manning:
•
Rules that jury will not hear Poplawski's Internet radio show from two years before the killing, in which he talks about killing Pittsburgh Police. If there is a penalty phase, they will hear it then.
•
Lifts the gag order because the jury is sequestered.
•
Warns that anyone caught using phone or email in the courtroom will be banned from the rest of the trial.

Deputy DA Mark Tranquilli's opening statement:

•
Says that like December 7 and September 11, April 4, 2009 is a day people remember here
•
Says it was a day of cowards and heroes.
•
Says Poplawski was a coward, dressed in a ballistic vet, waiting for the officers with a 12 gauge pump shotgun, 357 magnum revolver, and an AK-47 assault rifle.
•
Calls the three slain officers fallen heroes, part of the thin blue line that protects us from people like Poplawski
•
Calls other responding officers heroes as well.
•
Tells jurors they will hear nearly 50 witnesses, including:
•
911 dispatcher, neighbors, responding officers including Timothy McManaway, who was wounded, officers who heard Poplawski statements after he was taken into custody.
•
Says Poplawski called one of those officers the n-word and said to an officer, "People like you are the reason people like me shoot people like you."
•
Tranquilli predicts defense will say 911 screwed up, not mentioning weapons in the house... will say Sciullo was shot by friendly fire (Tranquilli says that fire came after Sciullo was dead).
•
Tells jury to keep eyes of the ball... Remember that none would have happened except for Poplawski's actions.
•
Tells them to demand the proof the law demands, give Poplawski and the officers what the law provides.

Defense attorney Lisa Middleman's opening statement:

•
Tells jurors you are going to have to piece together what happened.
•
Claims prosecution opening was rhetoric designed to enrage you.
•
Says she will focus on physical evidence, that witnesses often say what people desire to hear.
•
Claims physical evidence will not support the prosecution theory.
•
Acknowledges Poplawski took responsibility for what happened that day, but asks why would he do that?
•
Says there was another person in the house that day and raises question of "what part she played in what happened that day"

FIRST WITNESS, Shannon Basa-Sabol, 911 call taker:

•
Testifies she took the call from defendant's mother -- Margaret Poplawski -- that day for a domestic dispute.
•
Says caller's voice was calm. When asked if there were weapons, says caller responded they were all legal .-- and gave no indication they were involved in the incident.
•
Prosecution played 911 recording.

2ND WITNESS, Joanne DeVinney, neighbor:

•
Described hearing gunfire.
•
Saw one officer down in doorway to Poplawski home, another on at foot of steps.
•
Prosecution shows police photo of officers down from front view of home -- one in pool of blood. Witness thought they were dead.
•
Witness at one point lay on floor of her kitchen for fear of the gunfire.

3RD WITNESS, Alfred Lejpras, neigbhor

4th WITNESS, Tameka Kelly, daughter of Officer Eric Kelly, tearfully described her father dropping her off that day and, even though off duty, responding to incident two blocks from their home.

5th WITNESS: Michele Ostrowski, neighbor

Several videos at link: Richard Poplawski Trial: Neighbors Testify About Police Shootings - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

[MikeG]

So the defense strategy is that the 911 dispatch operator is partly to blame for the trigger pullers actions and that maybe the mom shot them?

Sorry, but that seems like officer safety/training/discipline issue for the operator but is not a mitigating factor for the murderer. I don't see how that is relevant at all to the murder charge.

I wonder if either side will call the mom to testify.

[PathosLogos]

He deserves the death penalty, period. In my opinion, he must be pretty smug to have even considered entering anything other than a guilty plea. Sickening.