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Federal court decides city not responsible for Pittsburgh cop road rage incident

PITTSBURGH — A federal court jury in Pittsburgh dismissed a lawsuit filed by a man attacked in a road rage incident by a since-fired Pittsburgh police detective.

The jury did not deliberate whether Jarret Fate was actually attacked by Detective Bradley Walker, who was fired and sentenced to probation last year.

Walker has already been convicted of pulling a gun, breaking the windows of victim's car and choking Fate during an off-duty accident involving both men's cars on May 1, 2010.

Instead, the jury was asked to decide whether the city, former Chief Nate Harper, and a police commander, were responsible for not properly training Walker or disciplining him for a series of other violent incidents before the road rage attack.

“Essentially if you have people at the top that are breaking the laws, people in the middle breaking the laws and people at the bottom breaking the laws, then you have a problem,” Fate’s attorney, Josh Autry, said.

The jury ultimately decided that the city was not responsible and does not owe the victim money as result.

“So many people have been warned about off-duty police behavior now, so it’s really important for the civilians in Pittsburgh to know that at least you have a chance to defend yourself against a blurry line,” Fate said.

Fate said Monday that he plans to appeal the jury’s decision.