Police: 2 men forced jitney driver to flee traffic stop in Homewood South

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Two men are charged with kidnapping after a jitney driver told police they threatened to kill her and forced her to drive away from a traffic stop while one of them held a gun to her head. 

Police pulled over the blue BMW sedan after it didn't use its turn signal and crossed the double yellow line on Hamilton Avenue in Homewood South last Tuesday night. 

According to the criminal complaint, police found the driver and two men later identified as Prentis Rose in the front passenger seat and Tyler Johnson in the back without seatbelts on. 

When police tried to get Rose to step out of the car after the names he gave police didn't turn up any results, they said he slammed the door shut and shifted the car into park. The car drove away with one of the officer's hands still in the door handle, but the officer was able to free himself.  

When police followed up with the driver, she told police she was a jitney driver and didn't know the men. She said when officers pulled her over, the men threatened to kill her if she didn't do what she was told and Rose showed her a gun. 

Once they started to drive away, the driver told police Rose put a gun to her head and told her he'd kill her if she didn't keep driving. 

Police were able to identify the men, who had active arrest warrants in connection with another incident. 

Both were charged with kidnapping, escape, false imprisonment, unlawful restraint, criminal conspiracy and flight to avoid apprehension, trial or punishment. Rose is facing several more charges, including simple assault, terroristic threats and gun violations.