Family of man shot, killed in officer-involved shooting has new attorney

WILKINSBURG, Pa. — The family of the man shot and killed in an officer-involved shooting in Wilkinsburg now has a new attorney.

Police said Romir Talley, 24, was shot after he fired at an officer during a foot chase. Authorities were initially called because a man, believed to be Talley, was allegedly threatening someone with a gun.

Since Talley’s death, many in the community are demanding answers.

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Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt is now representing the Talley family. He said his office is conducting an independent investigation.

“We have investigators on the ground gathering witness statements and looking for video evidence,” Merritt said. “Some property owners said they did have video they would consider sharing with us after they go through proper approvals and make sure they’re not in violation of the law while sharing it with us.”

Merritt said he also has plans to meet with the district attorney.

The Borough Council President of Wilkinsburg is also publicly speaking about the officer-involved shooting.

Pamela Macklin sent the following statement on the incident:

"The family of Romir Talley continues to be in the thoughts and prayers of Wilkinsburg Borough Council. Our sincere sympathy goes out to the entire family during this difficult time. In addition to Mr. Talley’s family, we also recognize that this has impacted the broader community and many persons in our community are mourning the loss of Mr. Talley’s life.

Borough Council works hard to encourage strong relationships between its officers and the community they serve. Moving forward we continue to be proud of our officers and the community we represent. The Wilkinsburg Borough Police Department will continue to work with the community to address their concerns while maintaining the high standards we expect from our officers. We also have the safety of officers of the Wilkinsburg Police Department, and their families in our thoughts.

Allegheny County police are investigating the December 22nd shooting, which is protocol in officer-involved shootings. The investigation will be independent and the Borough will be transparent with respect to the factual findings as soon as it is available. Until the investigation is complete, the Borough is unable to comment further regarding this matter, although we reiterate our sympathy to all of those impacted by the loss of life."

Family calling for more transparency after man shot by police in Wilkinsburg Family calling for more transparency after man shot by police in Wilkinsburg

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