UPDATE 3/23/22 2:49 P.M. - The City of Pittsburgh has announced disciplinary action for police officers involved in the October death of Jim Rogers.
The city concluded its internal investigation into Rogers' death in October, firing five officers. Three others are allowed to come back to work.
Mayor Ed Gainey addressed his critics who believe the case took too long to reach this point.
"When these decisions are made, the process is important and I do not want to do anything to threaten the effective outcome, or do anything to violate this process."
Mayor Gainey also called the incident a stark reminder of the progress needed in community police relations.
"Mr. Rogers deserved to live a life of joy. He deserved to live a long life. He didn't deserve to lose his life at the hands of police officers," Mayor Gainey said.
After Wednesday's announcement, Fraternal Order of Police president Robert Swartzwelder questioned the mayor's comments that Rogers died at the hands of police.
"I don't think there's evidence of that," he said. "I think there was an interaction with police, but I don't think there's evidence of that at this stage, that we're aware of."
The officers now have 14 days to accept the punishment, or file by arbitration.
City officials refused to name the officers involved.
Swartzwelder said they plan to fight the disciplinary action and file for arbitration for each officer.
Rogers died a day after he was tasered by Pittsburgh Police. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner ruled it an accident. The cause of death was acute global hypoxic ischemic injury to the brain, or a lack of oxygen to the brain.
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The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is altering procedures and policies after an investigation into the death of Jim Rogers in October.
On October 13, Pittsburgh Police responded to a call in Bloomfield concerning Rogers. The officer deployed his taser during the call. He was transported to Mercy Hospital where he passed away the next day.
In addition to Allegheny County Police, the internal Critical Incident Review Board looked into the matter and evaluated how the response was handled. After two months, procedural failures were identified.
"It is imperative that every critical incident is reviewed promptly," said Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich. "By identifying the problem, it allows us to expeditiously make corrections that are put into policy in a timely manner."
As a result of the investigation, eight Pittsburgh Police officers, including two supervisors, will face varying levels of discipline. Below are the recommend policy and procedural changes by the CIRB:
- Any use of force incident will require the presence of a supervisor on scene to complete a medical assessment and request appropriate personnel.
- Any incident involving the positive deployment of a Taser will require emergency medical services personnel to assess the patient.
- Pittsburgh Bureau of Police personnel will be retrained in accordance with established PBP Training Academy Duty to Intervene policy.
- Pittsburgh Bureau of Police will streamline its organizational review of Use of Force by both appropriate command staff and the Training Academy to expeditiously ensure policy compliance.
Also, all sworn Pittsburgh Police officers were required to take a taser refresher course, and will now be required to become fully-certified Emergency Medical Responders.
"Jim Rogers will serve as a sober reminder of the tremendous responsibility all officers bear when they wear the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police badge. Every resident and visitor to the City of Pittsburgh is owed the highest standard of care when they are in the custody of Pittsburgh Police," said Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert.
"In the case of Jim Rogers, we failed our fellow citizen. The disciplinary measures and procedural changes we are announcing today are intended to ensure a tragedy such as this never occurs again in the City of Pittsburgh."
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