Pittsburgh police shoot driver, mother during chase

\Scene in Pittsburgh early Sunday Jan. 13, 2012 after police shot at car during chase, wounding driver and his mother / KDKA-TV/CBS

PITTSBURGH Police say a man and woman are in serious condition after officers fired shots at their car during an early morning chase in Pittsburgh.

Police chief Nathan Harper told reporters Sunday that the driver ran a red light shortly after 1:30 a.m. Sunday in the Homestead neighborhood.

Pittsburgh told CBS Pittsburgh station KDKA officers tried to use road spikes to slow down the driver's vehicle, but he was able to avoid them

Harper said five off-duty officers shot at the car after it began driving into cars in the city's South Side area. He said the officers believed the use of deadly force was justified because the driver was using the vehicle as a weapon.

Harper said the car finally stopped when it rear-ended another vehicle. The 37-year-old driver and his passenger, identified as his mother, were hospitalized in serious condition.

Both were both hit by bullets, KDKA reports.

To see exclusive KDKA video of the incident, click at left.

Police told the station the scene was chaotic, since the incident happened around the time many of the South Side's bars were closing. Officers from several zones were called out to control the unruly crowd -- at one point, close to two dozen officers lined the perimeter of the scene.

One witness said he saw police officers shoot the driver through the window of the car after it crashed and claims police never told the driver to put his hands up or step out of the car.

"I had just left the bar on the South Side and I heard a car crash and I turn around and as I was turning, I heard two gun shots," the witness told KDKA. "And I looked and a police officer had ran and jumped right on top of a car and fired into the window of the vehicle that had just crashed four times, it was pop, pop, pop, pop and after that it was dead silence."

"All of a sudden, the cops came over, pushed everyone out of the way," he said. "There was lights, sirens coming from both directions. It was craziness, something I'd never seen before."

Harper said no weapons or drugs were found in the car.

Officials say the five officers who shot at the car are on administrative leave with pay.

The District Attorney is currently investigating the incident.

It's not clear where the man and his mother were hit, or what injuries they sustained.

However, one woman who witnessed the shooting from a nearby cafe says the man in the car was alive when authorities pulled him out, but was not moving his right arm. She also says the woman in the car was shot through the right eye. Police have yet to comment on the woman's account.

[eMars1]

Incidents like this along with police-superiority movies and tv shows, moreso than violent videos games and movies, are why mass-shooting/suicides are so prevalent in U.S. society nowadays. Mass shootings and property destruction then suicide by the perpetrator denies Law and Order Enforcement their desired 'justice'. Much like suicide bombings in the Middle East, these are just the latest methods employed to 'fight the power' and are nearly impossible to prevent; methods brought to you by the 'Columbine' few. The more police put in service and the more movies and tv shows glorifying the 'superior' exploits of police only agitates the public and confirms the existence of a police state. The average American is programmed to rebel against such a state; some more aggressively, forcefully, radically and fatally than others. Punishments for offending police officers of 'administrative leave with pay' only leads to more agregious atrocities against 'softer targets'. This conflict between 'Law and Order Enforcement' and the American Public is reaching critical mass and can only lead to anarchy. Primary reason for record numbers of gun sales to law-abiding citizens after each atrocity is fear that police and government are becoming frustrated and a crackdown is imminent. Nothing is more frustrating to Law and Order Enforcement than having justice denied to them by suicide of the seriously offending citizen. They would much rather kill the serious offender themselves than have the offender kill himself. Sort of 'in your face' to Capital Punishment as a deterrent to crime. Unfortunately the Nation does not have intelligence, leadership, means or humility to defuse this insane situation; We are 'too far gone'_way past 'the point of NO RETURN'! Incidents like this one only adds 'fuel to the fire'!

[josh7298]

the officers were off duty doing bar detail...doing security for the bars they wernt out drinking, and while they are doing the security they are in full uniforms thats why there heard it over the radio and why they responded.

[ToolMangler1]

the officers believed the use of deadly force was justified because the driver was using the vehicle as a weapon.

Nuff said!!!!

[arawdog1]

it scares me to see what this world is becoming

[judymar14]

A lawsuit will be filed in the near future. After all they were unarmed and had no drugs. "The po'lese didn't have to shoot them".

This is what makes it hard for the police to do their jobs. Now they will be put through the ringer for 'to serve and protect' innocent victims these scum could have killed.

[wuzup4040]

Chuck 766
How do you figure they acted properly, without knowing the facts,
Investigation sure is needed because we have one whitness saying the shots were fired after the crash, if so why, why were they not ordered to surrender at that point.
And any time off duty personall are involved they should be tested because maybe their actions were because of their own intoxication and it was that time of morning where it is possible they were out drinking.

[LouanW]

While I agree that all shootings need to be investigated, how do you figure they DIDN'T ACT PROPERLY. Witnesses have been known to give false statements, and how do you know that these off duty officers were not in plain clothes. My son is an officer and does some off duty assignments and he is always in uniform. As another person posted, you run from the law and you get what you deserve.

[LouanW]

Meant to say how do you know that these off duty officers were not in uniform instead were not in plain clothes.

[Lukaslion]

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
i want to write my opinion about this incident.

Do you know Taser?
if not, follow this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGXH-MwUt5E&list=PL3A39661AFF2CFF86&index=3

The people must not be injured or killed, if our Police have enough Taser.

yours sincerely,
Oezden Aynali (From Germany)

[mari1963]

Would you say these police officers went a little overboard? Come on! Police officers out of control !!!

[jszabo]

HOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sallychicago]

As someone asked -- were the cops tested for drugs and alcohol? Most likely NO!

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

"five off-duty officers shot at the car"
---
That seems very odd that 5 officers would be together off duty unless maybe they were out drinking......

[beachshoe]

more police SWAT mentality.