Nearly 80 Pittsburgh cops on administrative leave after firing weapons during standoff with armed Garfield squatter – which led to THOUSANDS of rounds fired
Nearly 80 Pittsburgh police officers — about seven percent of the city’s total workforce — have been placed on administrative leave after firing their guns during an hours-long standoff with a heavily armed squatter.
Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto said Thursday that 47 of his officers, mostly from the SWAT team, are on leave as per protocol, said Chief Superintendent Larry Scirotto.
He said “thousands” of shots were fired as any attempt to communicate with gunman William Hardison, 63, was met with fire or silence.
Another 16 officers from the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office are also on leave, and another 12 from the Allegheny County Police Department.
These agents, 75 in total, will be evaluated to ensure they are in an “emotional state of mind” before they can return to work.
Nearly 80 Pittsburgh police officers have been placed on administrative leave under protocol after firing their weapons during an hours-long standoff with an armed squatter on Wednesday.
‘Thousands’ of shots were fired as any attempt to communicate with gunman William Hardison, 63, was met with fire or silence, police said
A police source named the man William Bill Hardison, 63, according to WPXI-TV, while relatives said the home on Broad Street in Garfield belonged to his recently deceased brother.
The Pennsylvania State Police is conducting the investigation.
The three agencies on leave officers have a combined workforce of about 1,102 street cops, meaning the city now needs about seven percent of their police officers.
The standoff in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood began when officers went to Hardison’s home to serve an eviction notice and the gunman responded with fire.
The house apparently belonged to Hardison’s father, who sold it earlier this year.
“This is an extremely active situation with shooting still going on. Please avoid the area at this time,” police tweeted at 11am on Wednesday.
Multiple SWAT teams arrived on the scene and tear gas was fired at the home repeatedly since the gunman barricaded himself inside.
Hardison was pronounced dead after a six-hour gunfight.
One police source said the shooter identifies as a “sovereign citizen,” an anti-government extremist, WPXI reported.
“Sovereign citizens” do not believe they are bound by federal or state laws, or subject to any form of law enforcement.
A law enforcement officer responds to gunfire in the Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh
Relatives said the Hardison believed he was entitled to the home he shared with his brother
Many often do not believe that they have to pay taxes. The FBI considers the group an extremist organization.
Shortly after 4:40 p.m., a drone found the gunman “sensitive” and bloody after flying through the home, and less than 30 minutes later, police confirmed the man’s death.
“We wanted a peaceful solution, in this case a surrender, so we used different methods to achieve that,” said Chief Commissioner Scirotto. “On every occasion we were met with gunfire.”
Hardison would have been well stocked with firearms and ammunition.
His son, also named William Hardison, was on the scene and begged his father to end the standoff.
Multiple SWAT teams arrived at the scene and tear gas was fired at the home repeatedly since the gunman barricaded himself inside
“Dad, please surrender. Please give it up,” he said. “You have children and grandchildren who love you very much. Please go down.’
A woman who identified herself as the man’s sister had offered herself as an intermediary.
“He’s a good man, he just lost his brother and he was on duty,” the woman yelled at reporters.
But she was turned away by police, who warned the gunman might not recognize her amid the chaos.
Family member Marlene Jones told CBS that Hardison was a father and grandfather and that he loved his dogs.
She said his brother left the house to Hardison, but his mental health had been deteriorating for a year.
The new homeowners’ attorney said CBS agents had been warned that the squatter was heavily armed and that the issue of his eviction would be unpredictable.
Witnesses said that after banging on the door, police used a sledgehammer to gain entry. At this point the gunfire began.