PITTSBURGH — Attorneys for former police officer Michael Rosfeld are responding to a lawsuit filed against him by the family of Antwon Rose.
Rosfeld was found not guilty in March of criminal homicide in the death of 17-year-old Rose, who was shot and killed in June 2018 as he ran from a traffic stop. The car was pulled over in East Pittsburgh following a drive-by shooting minutes earlier in North Braddock.
Despite being acquitted, Rosfeld still faces the federal civil lawsuit that claims Rose’s civil rights were ignored.
Rosfeld’s attorneys are responding, saying in court documents that shots were fired in response to Rose extending his arm toward Rosfeld in a way that caused him to believe a firearm was being pointed at him.
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Fred Rabner, an attorney for Rose’s family, disputes the claims made by Rosfeld’s attorneys.
“There is no evidence that Antwon Rose II had done anything in the criminal nature,” Rabner said.
A separate civil suit against East Pittsburgh has drawn the following response from the borough:
"[Rose's] alleged injuries, sufferings and/or damages, were caused by his own willful, malicious and criminal misconduct and/or his own negligence, carelessness and reckless disregard for the rights of others and not by any civil rights violations."
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