The Pittsburgh-area police officer who shot and killed an unarmed teenager last week has been charged in his death.
The Pittsburgh-area police officer who shot and killed an unarmed teenager last week has been charged in his death. The officer, identified by authorities as Michael Rosfeld of the Allegheny County Police Department, was arrested and charged with one count of criminal homicide Wednesday morning, according to court documents obtained by ABC News. He is scheduled to appear before a judge for a preliminary hearing July 6. An attorney for Rosfeld did not immediately respond to ABC News‘ request for comment Wednesday morning. The attorney has previously declined to comment. Rosfeld fatally shot 17-year-old Antwon Rose on the night of June 19, after the teen and two others were pulled over in a car believed to have been connected to an earlier shooting that same night. Rose was struck in the upper body as he and another passenger of the car fled on foot from police during the traffic stop in the borough of East Pittsburgh, about 11 miles southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner has ruled Rose’s death a homicide. Fred and Monte Rabner, two of the attorneys representing Rose’s family, released a statement Wednesday morning reacting to the criminal homicide charge filed against Rosfeld.“The Rose family views the filing of criminal homicide charges with guarded optimism,“ the attorneys said in the statement. „There is a long road ahead to a conviction and proper sentencing which is the only thing we will accept as justice.“Rosfeld, 30, had been on the job for just three weeks when the deadly shooting happened. The Allegheny County Police Department is leading the investigation into the incident. The shooting was captured by a bystander on cellphone video, which is being reviewed by authorities. During an off-camera interview Thursday with ABC Pittsburgh affiliate WTAE-TV, Rosfeld said he didn’t know there was video of the shooting. He also said he and his family are struggling to cope but have received much support from law enforcement. He told WTAE he’s not ready to talk about what happened in the moments before he fired his gun or why he did it. Rosfeld said he did not know there was video showing the moments that he fired his gun three times, striking and killing Rose. During an interview Friday with WTAE, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala said an empty gun ammunition clip was found in Rose’s pocket after the shooting. Rose did not have a gun, authorities said. Protests condemning Rose’s killing have consumed downtown Pittsburgh in the days after the shooting. Rose’s family is „devastated“ and „stunned“ by his death, attorney Fred Rabner told ABC News last Thursday. The family’s attorney described Rose as a „beautiful, kind“ and hard-working teenager who worked with young children at a gymnastics gym, as well as at a Domino’s Pizza location. His funeral was Monday.
