Injured Clairton police officer faces accused shooters in court

Two men accused in a shooting that left a Clairton police officer paralyzed want their confessions thrown out of court.

Officer James Kuzak was shot in April while responding to a call for a home invasion on Miller Avenue. Kuzak came face-to-face with his accused shooters during a pretrial hearing on Friday.

"It hurts in a lot of different ways," said James Kuzak. "To see the young men over there as defendants that had an involvement in changing my life is disappointing."

Defense attorneys for Emilio Rivera, of McKees Rocks, and Marcus Andrejco-Jones, 18, of Rankin, said their clients’ confessions were coerced.

Rivera told the judge that he confessed after detectives threatened to take his son away and charge his girlfriend with conspiracy.

"I told them what they wanted to hear. I was at the point I knew I had to sacrifice myself to better my family," Rivera said.

 Channel 11's Jodine Costanzo reported that during the pretrial hearing prosecutors played the taped confession.  Rivera could be heard saying that detectives did not pressure him and said, "I'm being honest man. That's all I can say. I'm sorry it happened to officer Kuzak. I never thought in a million years I'd be in a situation like this."

Rivera's attorney blamed the discrepancy on detectives.

"They had the opportunity to record every single detail of testimony. They didn't. They only chose to record what they thought was necessary," said defense attorney Frank Walker.

Kuzak said while the legal battle is tough, his physical scars are worse.

"I have pain constantly. Nerve pain is something that doesn't go away," Kuzak said.

Andrejco-Jones’ mother said he was at home watching "Dancing with the Stars" when the officer was shot.

One of the robbery victims, a 45-year-old man identified in the criminal complaint only as witness No. 1, told police he opened the door after someone outside claimed to be an FBI agent. That's when the suspects burst into the home, brandishing handguns while ordering the man, a 26-year-old woman, an 8-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy "through the house at gunpoint, demanding money and narcotics," the complaint said.

Kuzak and two other Clairton officers arrived while the robbery was in progress.

The assailants fired at Kuzak moments after he knocked on the back door and announced the police presence, authorities said.