Former Zone 2 commander accused of illegally recording officers offered deal in court

PITTSBURGH — A former Pittsburgh police commander accused of illegally recording co-workers just cut a deal with prosecutors.

Former commander Matthew Lackner was in court Monday and prosecutors offered him Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition, a special program for first-time offenders.

Lackner’s attorney confirmed that he accepted the program.

The program calls for two years of probation and the payment of court costs.

As long as Lackner satisfies those requirements, the charges of illegally intercepting communications will be dropped.

Lackner was the commander of Zone 2 in the Hill District and is accused of using police body cameras to illegally record coworkers.

He retired from the force and District Attorney Zappala said that was a determining factor in the ARD offer.

“What he was doing was using his position as a supervisor to monitor his people, but he knows that what he was doing was wrong,” Zappala said. “He’s been on the force long enough to know that this is an illegal act. He’s no longer a police officer. I’ve discussed that matter with the administration, as far as I’m concerned, he’s ARD eligible.”

Lackner’s legal troubles are not over. The officers he is accused of recording filed a federal civil lawsuit against him and the city of Pittsburgh, accusing them of violating their rights.

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