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Monroeville officer leaves pistol, stun gun on vehicle, drives away

MONROEVILLE, Pa. — Authorities are searching for a Monroeville police officer's missing pistol, clips and stun gun after he left them on top of his pickup truck before driving away Saturday night.

Monroeville Police Chief Steven Pascarella said the officer was changing clothes in the parking lot of the police station following his shift on Saturday night.

According to Pascarella, the officer, whose identity hasn’t been released, set his utility belt on his pickup, and then forgot it there when he got into the vehicle and drove home.

“We got most of it back,” Pascarella said of the items on the belt. “They found the belt in the city on the side of the highway. The gun wasn't there, but that doesn't mean it's not close by. It got run over about 50 times.”

Officers sent an alert out through the Allegheny County 911 Center asking police to be on the lookout for the 45-caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol and the Taser. Anyone found with the gun faces felony charges, authorities said.

The officer, who is on a new-hire probation period, could face discipline, Pascarella said.

“Right now, the important thing is to recover the gun, then we'll take a look at what happen,” Pascarella said.

Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE contributed to this report.