Wanted man in Pittsburgh area tries to evade police by walking on frozen Allegheny River
A wanted man tried to evade police in the Pittsburgh area by walking on the frozen Allegheny River on Wednesday, officials said.
The police search for the man that spanned several miles along the river came to an end around 4 p.m. Video of the incident showed the man walking along the frozen river as police officers watched. The man eluded officers for hours before being taken into custody.
Pittsburgh Public Safety said officers were called to Highland Drive for a report of a man trespassing on the former VA site around 1 p.m. Investigators said, according to court paperwork, that they found him inside a building on the property, messing with an electrical panel. He then allegedly fled from the scene, first going through a snow-covered field and then the river.
Police officers from several agencies, including Pittsburgh, Verona and Oakmont, tracked the suspect as he walked on the ice. At times, officers used a megaphone to advise the man to turn himself in since he refused to surrender. Court documents say he told officers, "It was only trespassing; I'm not going back to jail just send me a citation." He allegedly said he would walk all the way to Mississippi.
The chase ended near the 2600 block of Freeport Road in Harmar Township, officials said. First responders took the man, later identified as 47-year-old Gary Cawley, to the hospital in stable condition. He is facing multiple charges, including possessing instruments of a crime, burglary, and trespassing.
Investigators said they found tools consistent with someone trying to steal metal. Pittsburgh Swift Water Rescue tracked him for miles because officials were worried he would fall through the ice.
