Pittsburgh officer shoots armed man in Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood, police say

A Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officer shot an armed man on Thursday night while responding to reports of a fight in the Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood, the Allegheny County Police Department said. 

The man shot, 50-year-old Maurice Manson, was taken to the hospital in critical condition, police said. He's now charged with aggravated assault. 

Argument began over $10, neighbors say

Shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Pittsburgh police were called to Lyric Street for reports of three males arguing in the street and "threatening to pull guns," Allegheny County Police Assistant Superintendent Victor Joseph said. Neighbors told KDKA-TV the argument was over $10 between friends, and one of them was intoxicated.

When officers arrived, police said they found Manson. He was told "numerous times" to drop the weapon, but he refused and "turned abruptly" in the officers' direction, Joseph said. 

Joseph said an officer opened fire, hitting the person, who was taken to a hospital in critical condition. 

Victim charged with aggravated assault

Allegheny County police have charged Manson with aggravated assault.

According to the criminal complaint, when county detectives reviewed Pittsburgh police body camera footage, they saw a Pittsburgh officer trying to talk to Manson, who was on a porch, when "Manson turns towards the officers and is observed clutching his waist band with his right hand." The officer "immediately draws his weapon and tells Manson to 'drop the [expletive] gun right now.'"

Instead, investigators said Manson turned away, stepping toward the home, but when the officer repeated his command, they said Manson quickly turned toward the two officers "while raising his right arm in a general upward direction." That's when one officer fired two shots, hitting Manson in the lower torso region.

EMS crews transported Manson to the hospital as investigators collected evidence from the scene, including the gun from the porch they said was in Manson's hand.

Neighbor says she hears fighting "all the time"

A woman named Joyce who has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years said she was in bed watching TV when she heard the commotion.

"It was two shots, bang, bang, just like that," Joyce said. "I'm like, 'What the heck?'"

Joyce said Manson only moved to the area about a year ago, and what had always been a quiet street got louder.

"They be fighting, fighting all the time," Joyce said. "This is the first time we had a shooting on this street."

She just hopes things get back to how they used to be.

"Just pray for us. Keep us in prayer," Joyce said.

Pittsburgh police said the two responding officers were not rookies, and the officer who fired his weapon is now on administrative leave, per policy. Allegheny County's homicide unit is investigating the shooting, Joseph said.