Force used in arrest caught on camera was justified, Pittsburgh police say

PITTSBURGH — Friday, Pittsburgh Police announced the forceful arrest of Jashon Martin, which was caught on video last week, was justified.

This announcement came following the completion of Pittsburgh Police’s preliminary investigation.

However, not everyone is satisfied with the result of that investigation.

>>> Pittsburgh Public Safety aware of ‘use of force’ by officers during arrest, incident under review

“When we saw the videos, in our opinion, we saw an exorbitant use of force and it is unacceptable,” said Tim Stevens, the Chairman and CEO of B-PEP, the Black Political Empowerment Project.

Martin’s arrest came along Smithfield Street in Downtown Pittsburgh, near Strawberry Way. Police allege Martin was dealing crack cocaine.

>>> Mayor Ed Gainey’s team working on ‘next steps’ following controversial arrest in downtown Pittsburgh

“This has nothing to do with what Mr. Martin is being charged with criminally. This has everything to do with how he was apprehended and detained,” said Daylon Davis, the President of NAACP Pittsburgh.

The NAACP, B-PEP, and the Alliance for Police Accountability gathered Friday night at the City-County Building to express their displeasure with Pittsburgh Police announcing the use of force to take Martin into custody was justified.

They were joined by Martin’s mother, who did not speak publicly.

“That justified bullcrap is just that, bullcrap. There was nothing justified about that,” said Brandi Fisher, the President and CEO of the Alliance for Police Accountability.

In a media briefing earlier in the day, Chief Larry Scirotto called the officer’s actions reasonable, within policy, and legal.

>>> City of Pittsburgh introduces board to investigate use of force incidents

“We have determined based on the totality of the circumstances, based on what the officers knew at the time of engagement, that we were dealing with a potentially armed subject, his level of resistance was high, he was given approximately 54 commands to surrender and that use of force was deployed to effect the arrest,” Scirotto said.

At that briefing, Mayor Ed Gainey also announced plans to form a new advisory board called the Sentinel Review Task Force, made up of community leaders from different backgrounds.

It will take a closer look at use of force incidents like this one.

“The committee will be responsible for doing an independent review of the past use of force incidents such as Jim Rogers, the current incidents, and future events,” Gainey said.

A timeline for the formation of that task force and details about who will serve on it have not yet been announced.

On Sunday, Virgie M. Rollins, DNC Black Caucus chair, and Will Anderson, chair of the Allegheny County Democratic Black Caucus, released a statement about the arrest. It reads:

“The Democratic National Committee Black Caucus Chair,Virgie M.Rollins stands firmly in its support of the Allegheny County Democratic Black Caucus in Demanding Justice, Accountability and the charging of the officers involved in the Violent arrest of the young African American man Ja’Shon Martin Friday August 25, 2023 in Downtown Pittsburgh.

We the members of the Allegheny County Democratic Black Caucus do herby call on the Attorney General of Pennsylvania and the Department of Justice to immediately investigate all involved in what we feel to be a clear pattern of continued unnecessary use of force by the City of Pittsburgh Police Department during arrest

The video of the interaction and arrest of Ja’Shon Martin Friday August 25,2023 in Downtown Pittsburgh we feel CLEARLY DEPICTS MULTIPLE City of Pittsburgh Police officers striking Young Mr.Martin, while other officers pile on top of him as he lay face down on the concrete,their assaults become so violent that one Pittsburgh Police officer can be seen grabbing one officers arm stopping him from continuing to punch Mr.Martin while seconds later a separate Pittsburgh Police officer is clearly seen kneeing Mr.Martin while he lay on his stomach on the ground while being held by other Pittsburgh Police officers. As of the time of this release we understand Mr.Martin still has not been taken to the hospital for proper medical examination and remains in the Allegheny County Jail.

As Chair of the Allegheny County Democratic Black Caucus and Chief of Staff of the Democratic National Committee Black Caucus, it is my Honor and Duty to not only to get African Americans to support our Democratic Party Platform and elect Democrats up and down the ballot but hold those in office and appointed positions accountable to our community.

As such we are appalled by the Decision by this Historic first African American Democratic Mayor and his African American Police Chief that the use of force used to act the arrest of Young Mr.Martin was justifiedand in fact in line with Pittsburgh Police Bureau Policy.

In a County and City that continues to fail our community at every level it is not surprising that when a Young Black man is violently assaulted and arrested on video by those empowered to serve and protect not only are they never taken off the streets they are given a speedy investigation that is over before Mr Martins wounds heal.

This is not Nazi Germany, our leaders cannot be allowed to use their police forces to act Violent arrest clothed in the guise of Public Safety when it’s truly a bend to Corporations above people.

How can we as a community have confidence that this administration and new Chief of Police have the ability or desire to address the community concerns when the first 3 dealings this Chief has had with African American men have led to two violent arrest which both the administration has justified the use of force and one undetermined cause of death during an eviction.

We as African Americans make up 14% of Allegheny County and 22% of the City of Pittsburgh but over 75% of the broken Allegheny County Jail. We question the hypocritical actions of those who claim to be progressive Jail reformers and Jail abolitionist with their words but use the same tactics they vilified others for using,throwing another Young Black man into a system they claim to want to tear down.

As we once again ponder the question, the Pittsburgh region is most livable for who?

We Demand that all Police Video as well as the names of all officers involved be immediately released to the Public and that all officers involved in the Violent arrest and assault of Ja’Shon Martin be immediately prosecuted,we further Demand the Pennsylvania Attorney General office and the U.S.Justice Department immediately investigate the City of Pittsburgh Police Department for ita continued pattern of Civil Rights Violations and Use of Excessive force during arrest of Citizens of the City of Pittsburgh.”

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2023 Cox Media Group