Wednesday, April 25, 2012

[HERE] and [MORE] U.S. District Judge Gary Lancaster today approved a partial settlement of the Jordan Miles lawsuit alleging excessive force by police.

Mr. Miles agreed to drop the city of Pittsburgh from his lawsuit in exchange for $75,000. Pittsburgh City Council approved the deal last month.

The partial settlement clears the way for a July civil-rights trial that will focus entirely on the actions of the three officers accused of beating Mr. Miles on a Homewood street in January 2010.

Mr. Miles has accused city Officers Richard Ewing, Michael Saldutte and David Sisak of beating him "to a pulp" and later fabricating evidence against him.

The officers said they confronted Mr. Miles because he appeared to be "sneaking around" a house in the 7900 block of Tioga Street, with a heavy object in his coat that they thought was a concealed weapon. When he was approached by the officers he ran away, but the officers soon caught up with him and beat him into submission by delivering violent blows that left his face swollen and distorted. Police also used a stun gun and pulled out a chunk of his hair. He is  5-foot-6 and 150 pounds and was unarmed.

They charged him with a string of frivilous crimes that a district judge later dismissed.

The officers have said that they do not believe they used excessive force against Mr. Miles, who was 18 at the time of the incident.

Officers reinstated [MORE bullshit here] 

Pittsburgh's mayor and police chief announced today that three officers who had been off the job during an investigation into the arrest of Jordan Miles are being reinstated without discipline.

The officers will not be assigned to Zone 5, which includes Homewood, where the controversial arrest occurred, although it wasn't announced where they will be assigned.

Making the reinstatement announcement at a press conference this afternoon, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said it was now time for the city to heal.

Chief Nate Harper said that, "There is no question that Mr. Jordan Miles sustained physical injuries, but there is no evidence to show it was the result of wrongful conduct by the officers."

Mayor: Its All Good

Mayor Ravenstahl on Thursday made a point to address the highly charged emotions that have surrounded the case.

"Now is the time to look into the future," Mr. Ravenstahl said. "It is a time for us as a city to heal the relationships between our police, the men and women who risk their lives every day to keep our citizens safe, and the people they are sworn to protect." [MORE]