Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto: 'I Grieve With Antwon Rose's Family, Friends, And The Entire Community'

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto is reacting to the not guilty verdict of former East Pittsburgh police officer Michael Rosfeld.

"Tonight I grieve with Antwon's family, friends, and the entire community. Words cannot heal the pain so many are feeling. Only action can begin the process, a process that will take work & understanding," Peduto said via Twitter.

A jury found Rosfeld, who is charged in the June 2018 shooting death of 17-year-old Antwon Rose II, not guilty.

The jury reached their verdict after deliberating for about three and a half hours Friday.

Rosfeld shot and killed Rose last summer after pulling over an unlicensed taxicab suspected to have been involved in a drive-by shooting minutes earlier. Rose, a passenger in the vehicle, was shot in the back as he fled.

The fact that Rosfeld shot Rose was never in dispute; instead, the jury was tasked with deciding if the shooting was justified.

"An understanding that inequality exists & we have a moral obligation to address it. I offer the full support of the city of Pittsburgh, to help us find light in darkness," Peduto said.