Video played in court shows arrest of man charged with killing McKeesport police officer

Video played in court Thursday showed the arrest of the man accused of shooting and killing a McKeesport police officer in 2023.

In the shootout between the defendant, Johnathan Morris, and McKeesport police officer Charles Thomas, both men were wounded. Officer Sluganski was shot and killed without firing his own weapon.

Around two blocks away from where the shootout happened, video captured a standoff between Morris and arriving officer Robert Eastman. 

More shots were fired and Morris can be seen falling and rolling on the ground, coming to rest before being placed under arrest. A third person, Harley Davis, who can be seen in the video, testified in court Thursday.

Davis lived nearby and said upon hearing the previous shots, that he went out onto the street where he saw a man he identified as Morris, walking and bleeding from his leg.  

When he approached the man, Davis said Morris told him "I'm retired military. Please help." Getting a first aid kit, Davis said he was attending to Morris' leg when the Marine veteran told him not worry about him.

"See about the people around the corner," Morris told him, referring to the original shootout scene. 

Then Davis said "all hell broke loose' when Eastman pulled up in his police cruiser and both he and Morris drew their guns. Davis said he didn't know who fired first, just that he started moving backwards and away from the scene.

Prosecutors initially said they would seek the death penalty against Morris, who faces a lengthy list of charges, including criminal homicide and murder of a law enforcement officer of the first degree. The intention to seek the death penalty in the case was later rescinded.  

The trial is expected to last for several weeks.