PITTSBURGH — There are new developments in a story Channel 11 has been following for eight months.
You might remember the dramatic rooftop standoff on Alice Street back in September.
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It started when the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office attempted to serve a warrant on a serial burglary suspect.
After thirteen hours, he was captured, but damage was done to one of the homes in the process of getting him down.
Channel 11 was the only station there when it happened.
The homeowner, who had been renting out the space, tells us the house suffered close to $20,000 in damages.
Since September, the question has been this: Who is responsible for paying for it?
Back in March, homeowner Rustam “Russ” Vasilev told Channel 11 he’d received a letter from the City of Pittsburgh Law Department denying his claim.
“Our investigation has determined that the Allegheny County Sheriffs were in control of the incident,” the letter said.
Last week, Russ received a letter from the Sheriff’s Office also denying Russ’s claim.
“Please be advised that the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office has no authority over the
Pittsburgh Fire Department or the City agencies. They are separate entities. Again, it is the Pittsburgh Fire Department that performed the destruction, not the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office."
“They’re pointing at the city, basically,” Russ told Channel 11. “They are pointing at each other. It’s total nonsense. An absolute circus.”
The letter also twice referenced that Russ does not have insurance on the home.
We spoke to our legal analyst Phil DiLucente to see if that would prevent Russ from seeking damages.
“Even if a person doesn’t have homeowner’s insurance and law enforcement, for some reason, goes in and destroys it, it doesn’t necessarily mean they might not have a claim. However, there are exceptions to this rule,” DiLucente said.
“It’s very fact-sensitive, but based upon those circumstances, it may have been reasonably necessary,” he added.
In the meantime, Russ says he’s planning to file another claim with the city while he searches for legal help.
“I hope for compensation. If they’ve got no cash for me, they could replace the roof,” he said.
“After the police raids, you’re left with a destroyed house and nobody cares about it.”
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