Officer Michael Rosfeld, the East Pittsburgh police officer that shot and killed unarmed teen Antwon Rose, has been charged with criminal homicide for Rose’s death as court records show from Wednesday morning.
Stephen A. Zappala Jr., the Allegheny County district attorney, claimed in a news conference that the officer’s actions were “intentional and they certainly brought about the result he was hoping to accomplish.”.
Just in: Officer Michael Rosfeld’s mugshot released. He has been charged with criminal homicide in the death of #AntwonRose pic.twitter.com/8fc729TsId
— Michelle Wright (@MichelleWTAE) June 27, 2018
After suspecting that Rose was in the car that had fled from an earlier shooting, Rosfeld pulled the car over and detained the driver. Rose and the other passenger in the car quickly fled the scene, where Rosfeld proceeded to shoot Rose three times, which the criminal complaint now reveals he was hit in his face, right arm, and the middle of his back, despite being unarmed. Rose was later pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital
According to CNN, Zappala said the evidence that is given in the criminal complaint, including a Facebook video that went viral of the incident, “supports charges of manslaughter and third-degree murder” and his office “has a right to argue murder in the first, which the state code classifies as an intentional killing.”
Rose’s death sparked protests in Pittsburgh, protesting that #BlackLivesMatter and fighting for justice. Fred and Monte Rabner, the Rose family’s attorneys, released a statement where they stated, “There is a long road ahead to a conviction and proper sentencing which is the only thing we will accept as justice.”
A respected officer at the University of Pittsburgh just told me that Michael Rosfeld, the cop who shot #AntwonRose, should’ve never been allowed to work in law enforcement again after assaulting students at the University – including the son of a chancellor. pic.twitter.com/OGIybREz9m
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) June 22, 2018
Rosfeld was released on a $250,000 bond, something that they argued over whether or not he should receive given his charges.
“We vigorously argued against bond this morning,” Mike Manko, spokesman for Zappala said. “We do think it was an improper ruling by the magistrate.”
Officer Rosfeld will remain on house arrest until trial.