Police Officer Shot, Killed; Suspected Gunman Also Dead

[greg72982]

Rip...

new kensington, pa. -- a lower burrell police officer was shot and killed wednesday night by a wanted man outside a new kensington restaurant.
The shooting occurred at about 7 p.m. Outside a dairy queen in the 300 block of greensburg road.
Sources identified the fallen officer to channel 4 action news as patrolman derek kotecki.
According to the city of lower burrell's website, kotecki served in the police department's k-9 division alongside his partner, a german shepherd named benny.

Benny served as patrolman derek kotecki's partner in the k-9 division of the lower burrell police department
police identified the officer's shooter as charlie post, 33, of lower burrell.
Post was also killed, but it was not immediately clear if it was by his own hand or if he was shot by responding officers.
A search had been ongoing for post after he fired shots at his boss at the clarion hotel, just off of tarentum bridge road, on oct. 2.
Team 4's paul van osdol researched post's criminal history and found that he had several prior run-ins with the law, including the following charges:
Aug. 2011: Post was charged with use and possession of drug paraphernalia. A bench warrant was issued when he failed to appear for a court hearing.
Jan. 2006: Post was convicted of fleeing or attempting to elude an officer.
March 2002: Post was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another and disorderly conduct. The disposition of the case was unclear in court records.
A police bolo had been issued wednesday night for post's brother, identified as chris post, 25.
He is described as white, with brown hair and about 6 feet tall, and was believed to be driving a white cadillac and possibly armed and dangerous.

Police Officer Shot, Killed; Suspected Gunman Also Dead - Pittsburgh News Story - WTAE Pittsburgh

[Aussie George]

Too sad.

Prayers and thoughts sent.

Stay safe people.

[greg72982]

updated article:

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. -- A Lower Burrell police officer was shot and killed Wednesday night by a wanted man outside a New Kensington restaurant.
The shooting happened at about 7 p.m. outside a Dairy Queen in the 300 block of Greensburg Road.

The fallen officer was identified as Patrolman Derek Kotecki.
According to the city of Lower Burrell's website, Kotecki served in the police department's K-9 division alongside his partner, a German shepherd named Benny.
The dog was not shot, but police said the animal had to be muzzled and led away because the dog refused to leave the side of his downed partner.

Police identified the officer's shooter as Charlie Post, 33, of Lower Burrell.
Post was also killed, but it was not immediately clear if it was by his own hand or if he was shot by responding officers.
A search had been ongoing for Post after he fired shots at his boss at the Clarion Hotel, just off of Tarentum Bridge Road, on Oct. 2.
Police said Kotecki was responding to a call that a man wanted by police was at the Dairy Queen. When he walked up to Post, the suspect opened fire, killing Kotecki, police said.
"Obviously, Officer Kotecki was a man of a great deal of courage. He was able to face a man who had actually threatened within the last week the officers of the city of Lower Burrell with physical harm," said Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck.

After shooting the officer, Post ran behind the building and tried to climb a fence when other officers approached. Police said gunshots were exchanged and Post died from a fatal gunshot wound. An autopsy scheduled for Thursday is expected to determine who fired the bullet that killed Post.
Kotecki was married and had two children. He was one week shy of celebrating his 18th year with the police force.
"Please pray for the Kotecki family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them. I know I'm devastated by this. Derek was a great, great officer," said Lower Burrell Police Chief Tracy Lindo.
Team 4's Paul Van Osdol researched Post's criminal history and found that he had several prior run-ins withe the law, including the following charges:

Aug. 2011: Post was charged with use and possession of drug paraphernalia. A bench warrant was issued when he failed to appear for a court hearing.
Jan. 2006: Post was convicted of fleeing or attempting to elude an officer.
March 2002: Post was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another and disorderly conduct. The disposition of the case was unclear in court records.
A police all-points bulletin had been issued Wednesday night for Post's brother, identified as Chris Post, 25.
He is described as white, with brown hair and about 6 feet tall, and was believed to be driving a white Cadillac and possibly armed and dangerous.

Video also available at the previous link

[greg72982]

Went to the funeral...such a huge turnout by departments even out of state. Ones I saw were:

Fairfax County, VA
Niagara Falls, NY
Chicago, IL
Weirton, WV
Wheeling, WV
Hagerstown, MD

It's the second police funeral I've been to and both were very impressive but the reason for it is truly sad...

[falcon four]

I also was at the funeral today, saw a huge turnout. There was quite the showing of Troopers today. I haven't seen so many cycles from different departments in one place except for the 9/11 ride I went on back in August..

Hope we don't have to do that again for a while...

[MikeG]

Went to the funeral...such a huge turnout by departments even out of state. Ones I saw were:

Fairfax County, VA
Niagara Falls, NY
Chicago, IL
Weirton, WV
Wheeling, WV
Hagerstown, MD

It's the second police funeral I've been to and both were very impressive but the reason for it is truly sad...

I've been to two and they are really, really hard. I didn't know the officers killed but I knew officers that knew them and it is pretty unbearable. I think this is the Shakespeare quote where you "screw your courage to the sticking place" and bear it. I try but don't. I'm not the only one, either and that makes it worse.

[MikeG]

I also was at the funeral today, saw a huge turnout. There was quite the showing of Troopers today. I haven't seen so many cycles from different departments in one place except for the 9/11 ride I went on back in August..

Hope we don't have to do that again for a while...

Not to rain on motors, but I don't like them as escorts. I have a friend that was criticially injured and medically retired after a bee in the helmet caused a swerve into a curb. It was a police funeral that it happened. Same department almost lost two officers in a week, one during the motorcade, the other from a training accident. I agree they look sharp but I've read too many 'escort deaths/injuries'. I think both Hillary Clinton and Obama have a motorcade fatality (texas and hawaii I think?? could be wrong). I think the better tributes is the miles long motorcade of police vehicles from every jurisdiction in the procession and the route lined by officers and citizens and fire trucks.

[greg72982]

I also was at the funeral today, saw a huge turnout. There was quite the showing of Troopers today. I haven't seen so many cycles from different departments in one place except for the 9/11 ride I went on back in August..

Hope we don't have to do that again for a while...

They sent a ton to the Pittsburgh PD funeral back in 2009 as well, not sure if you went to that one.

I've been to two and they are really, really hard. I didn't know the officers killed but I knew officers that knew them and it is pretty unbearable. I think this is the Shakespeare quote where you "screw your courage to the sticking place" and bear it. I try but don't. I'm not the only one, either and that makes it worse.

The church wasn't big enough to fit all the police so many(majority) stayed outside and listened/watched it through a screen and speakers they had set up outside. I noticed that alot of the cops outside were just talking to each other and such and as soon as the Kotecki's two friends from the department started talking it got completely silent and everyone was either watching or just listening.


Here is a youtube video of part of the funeral. Even though it's 10 minutes that probably isn't even half of the procession:

You Tube

[MikeG]

Here is a youtube video of part of the funeral. Even though it's 10 minutes that probably isn't even half of the procession:

Don't do that to me. Now I have to get eyes checked for leaks. The thing that touched me too was the service the neighboring cities put in. During the funerals, the neighboring cities "extended" their beat patrols for dept with the fallen officers so they could all attend. I think they just pushed their borders a bit so anyone that wanted to go could attend. And a few disrespectful motorists trying to go around the road closures are probably alive today because of that. At another funeral procession I watched from the curb like in the video, I was standing next to an officer responsible for closing a side street (different dept than the street he closed). He was in class A with cover and was saluting at attention while motorcade went by. Car tries to go around him from side street. I got a good pound on the hood as I saw him first but officer still had to break his attention to waive this jerk back since I was just crazy guy pounding on hood pointing the other way. Man with badge and gun pounding on hood pointing the other way got more attention. He had a lot more patience than I would have had as I think I would have turned him away at gunpoint.

[greg72982]

Officers from two other departments, one even in a different county, covered daylight shift for Lower Burrell PD so tthey all could attend. A real class act.

One was a Chief, the other was a Sergeant.

I was also very impressed by the amount of civilians along the side of the road. Some were holding pro-LE signs, some holding signs dedicated to Officer Kotecki, several others were giving the peace sign as we all drove by. There was a group of soldiers I saw too standing at attention. There was also areas with groups of children holding American flags waving them excitedly as we went by. Really something to see...