An arbitrator has ordered the reinstatement of a Pittsburgh police officer fired following the death of a man a day after officers used a stun gun on him during an arrest. The ruling Friday came nearly two years after the officer and several others were fired in connection with the October 2021 death of 54-year-old Jim Rogers.
PITTSBURGH — An arbitrator has ordered the reinstatement of a Pittsburgh police officer fired following the death of a man a day after officers used a stun gun on him during an arrest.
The 54-year-old homeless man, stopped after a report of a bicycle theft from a home, was hit with a stun gun repeatedly over several minutes before he was taken into custody. He became unresponsive in a police car and was pronounced dead at a hospital. The medical examiner ruled the death accidental and resulting from a lack of oxygen to the brain.
Friday’s ruling said the officer should be reinstated with back pay and benefits and face no discipline. The mayor’s office said in a statement that the city is “deeply disappointed” by the ruling, citing the officer’s admission of having violated policies, but did not indicate whether an appeal was planned.