Indictment of Officer Involved in Antwon Rose Shooting Raises New Questions About Protests

by: Daniel Kline

Photo Credit: Daniel Kline
Flag at Fort Pitt blockhouse with Fort Pitt Bridge in the background

by : Daniel Kline

27 June 2018

On the morning of Wednesday, June 27th, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappella filed criminal homicide charges against East Pittsburgh Police Officer Michael Rosfeld, who shot and killed 17-year-old Antwon Rose on Tuesday, June 19th.  This indictment followed five consecutive days of protests in and around Pittsburgh.

Some attribute the DA’s decision to the effort of the protesters who have taken to the streets, but this decision raises complicated questions about the nature of protests and regional politics and their effect on Pittsburgh and its political climate.

Chris Rolinson, professor of photojournalism at Point Park University, believed that the protests were highly effective.

“The DA charged the police officer,” Rolinson said.  “They’ve moved the case from the court of public opinion to the court of law.”

In regards to whether or not the protesters were right in the means they were using, including the shutdown of major roadways, such as the shutdown of Parkway East which occurred on the evening of Thursday, June 21st, Rolinson responded, “I think it’s great.  The city is very racially divided: where people live, where they work, where they go to school.  And there’s a general sense that people aren’t being listened to.”

Rolinson added that the situation “has other implications.  There are over 100 police departments in Allegheny County.  Is there something we’re doing structurally that is causing this to happen?”

Camille Downing, a lecturer in public relations at Point Park University, shared similar opinions about the efficiency of the protests in the wake of Rose’s death.

“[Protesters are doing] a very good job of raising awareness,” Downing said.  “Making people sympathetic is a very hard thing to do….Doing a pretty good job.”

“Protests are a form of public relations,” Downing said.  “With so many protests [around the nation in the last several years], you can get lost in the shuffle.  From a PR perspective, shutting down Parkway East, such a major, very different act…the unusual, in PR, is what gets noticed.”

In regards to how well the city is handling the situation, Downing said that the city is doing a good job handling the situation.

Mayor Bill Peduto was highly skilled at mediating and calming people down in situations such as these, according to Downing.  “Protesters feel like they’re being heard, and the city is making sure they feel like they’re being heard.”

James Hill, executive assistant to Peduto,  said that the city of Pittsburgh was gradually becoming more divided as time went on, due to major political differences, such as those between the urban and more rural parts of the region.

According to Hill, the greatest challenge the city is faced with during protests of this nature is the unpredictability.

“It happens in an instant,” Hill said.  “One guy throws a punch, one guy shoves another, and you can have full scale riots.  If you want to bring attention to your concerns, do it smartly, and safely.”

Hill stated that protests were important parts of dialogue about political issues, but that they were only helpful if both sides were willing to listen to and talk to each other.  Otherwise, they could cause greater division.  On balancing the benefits of noticeable protests along with their disruptive nature, Hill said that the matter was more complicated.

“It’s a very gray area,” Hill said.  “Thankfully, the Constitution gives us the ability to look at these matters case-by-case.  “I’m not sure if there’s an ideal form of dialogue.”

As an optimistic model, though, Hill referenced a story about two truckers stuck on the Parkway East during Thursday’s protest.  The truckers chose to leave their vehicles and talk to protesters during the shut-down, and eventually came to sympathize with the protesters concerns.  In Hill’s view, the truckers are models for how citizens should engage with the issue, and try to listen to those on the other side.

“Will we get more [dialogue]?  I don’t know.”

But Hill was fairly optimistic: “What separates us is much smaller than what ties us together.”

Photo Credit: Daniel Kline
Tree at Point Park in front of the skyline