Introduction
“If I was in Antwon’s shoes, I would have run. It’s out of fear.”
- Raemon Prunty, Friend of Antwon Rose
In June 2018, East Pittsburgh police officer Michael Rosfeld shot and killed 17-year-old Antwon Rose II as he ran from the car the newly sworn in officer had recently stopped. Rosfeld had pulled the silver Chevrolet Cruze over because it matched the description of a vehicle that was suspected of being involved in a reported shooting just moment earlier. As Rosfeld questioned the driver of the vehicle, the two other occupants of the car ran from the scene. As captured on a camera phone video taken of the incident, Rosfeld then drew his weapon and fired three shots into the back of one of the occupants that was running away. It turned out to be Mr. Rose, who was pronounced dead at UPMC McKeesport hospital a short time later. The driver of the car Officer Rosfeld stopped was never charged, and now a traumatized community was left to deal with a dead young boy and the officer responsible for killing him.
The shooting of Antwon Rose ignited protests that rocked the city both immediately after the incident and during the trial of Officer Rosfeld. The officer was eventually found not guilty of all charges related to the shooting. As I followed the reports and the aftermath of the trial, I was curious about the policies that guide how police respond to crime or perceived threats to public safety. I wondered how the police could be held accountable for their actions as public servants, and what rights citizens have when interacting with law enforcement. Then, I began to think about that term: public servant. I wanted to consider whether the police were still viewed as public servants or as an invading force. If an officer felt he or she was a part of the community they served, would it change how they behaved in a given situation? What would happen if the members of a community viewed the police as allies instead of an invading force? Instead of police wearing the most intimidating gear, behaving aggressively, and constantly exerting force to control a situation, what would happen if a police officer looked to de-escalate a situation and treat the citizens with whom they interacted as neighbors instead of suspects? Finally, as I discovered more about the current state of policing in Pittsburgh and America, I was struck with the final and most important question; where do we go from here?
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