Jordan Miles' Mother: "The Whole Community is Outraged"

City of Pittsburgh officials had said they would wait until the federal investigation was over in the case of the beating of an 18 year old African American high school student on January 12, 2010.
Police Chief Nate Harper will hold a news conference this afternoon about the 3 plain clothes officers who allegedly wrongly beat Jordan Miles, an honors student at Pittsburgh's Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) High School.

The three officers confronted Jordan Miles as he was walking from his mother's house in Homewood to his grandmother's home. Miles says he did not the 3 men were police officers. The officers said they thought Miles had a heavy object in his pocket and he failed to obey an order to stop. Jordan Miles wound up in the hospital, badly beaten about the face and with chunks of hair pulled from his head.

The Department of Justice announced yesterday that it would not pursue criminal charges against Officers Michael Saldutte, David Sisak and Richard Ewing. The statement said that after an exhaustive review by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI including interviews with more than 40 people "there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt" that Jordan Miles' civil rights were violated.
The attorney for the Miles' family, J. Kerrington Lewis says the Justice Department made the wrong decision and this sends a message...
"That there's no opportunity even for the citizens through a jury trial to determine whether that beating was so excessive it became criminal."

Dan O'Hara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said the 3 officers "have been vindicated" by the Justice Department's decision not to prosecute.
Terez Miles, Jordan Miles' mother, says they were hoping for the best but in this case the justice system did not work....
"Jordan and I are both outraged about this. The whole community is outraged. Our family is outraged. There needed to be charges filed on these officers. That would have been the greatest deterrent to this sort of thing happening to other people in the future."

The Miles family filed a civil suit several months ago against the city of Pittsburgh and the 3 officers. That case is expected to go to court late this year.

The 3 officers have been on paid leave for more than a year.

No Federal Charges Against Police In Miles' Case

The U.S. Department of Justice has decided not to file charges against Pittsburgh Police Officers Michael Saldutte, David Sisak and Richard Ewing in the January 2010 beating of 18 year old Jordan Miles of Homewood, an honors student at Pittsburgh's Creative and Performing Arts High School.

The statement from the Justice Department said the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI conducted an "exhaustive review of the incident" including interviews of more than 40 witnesses.

"After a lengthy, independent, and thorough review consuming hundreds of hours of agent and prosecutor time, federal officials determined that the evidence was insufficient to prove a federal civil rights violation, beyond a reasonable doubt, against any of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officers."

Miles says he was walking from his mother's house to his grandmother's house when the three officers confronted him. They claim they tried to stop him because he had a heavy object in his pocket and refused to stop. Miles said he was afraid because he didn't know the plain-clothes officers were police.

Pete Shell of the Alliance for Police Accountability says he's "deeply disappointed and surprised by the decision not to prosecute..."there's ample evidence to prosecute...they put him in the hospital...they tore out chunks of his hair."

Shell says the group presented hundreds of petitions to the Allegheny County District Attorney calling for a local prosecution and he said he would wait till after the federal investigation...."Now that that decision has been announced, we expect D.A. Zappala to move forward with the prosecution in this case. That's the last chance for justice."

Saldutte, Sisak and Ewing remain suspended at this time.

City Councilman Hears from Community on Police Accountability

A Tuesday night hearing at the Shiloh Community Missionary Baptist Church in Homewood addressed upcoming legislation for more police transparency. Pittsburgh Councilman Ricky Burgess' bill would establish policy for off-duty police, and compel the Pittsburgh Police Bureau to produce an annual report on the make-up of the police force; any legal action against police officers; average response times; arrests by charge, race and gender by zone and specialized units; conviction rates and traffic stops as well as recruitment and retention.

Burgess says that a lot of people are interested in the duties and requirements of off-duty police officers. "I think there needs to be a clear policy that states what off duty police officers should and should not do, and what is the responsibility and the city's commitment to them so that both sides are clear. I think that recent events have lead us to need to have that process clarified."

He says that the majority of his constituents are behind him and that he has not yet heard from the opposition directly. Burgess is willing to make compromises to his legislation but believes that the conversation and public discussion is incredibly important.

Councilman Burgess' legislation was proposed after allegations of police brutality against 18 year old Jordan Miles, who was allegedly beaten by 3 plain clothed officers while walking to his grandmother's house in Homewood.

Speakers Testify on City Police Reform Legislation

Experts from law enforcement, academia and the legal arena spoke out in support of proposed police reform legislation at Pittsburgh Council Thursday. The post-agenda meeting centered on an ordinance drafted by Councilman Ricky Burgess that would require routine data collection by officers and law enforcement administrators. That data would include everything from routine traffic stops to incidents involving the use of force. The information would be published in an annual public report that would specify the make-up of the police force; any legal action against police officers; average response times; arrests by charge, race and gender by zone and specialized units; conviction rates and traffic stops as well as recruitment and retention. Vic Walczak, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania says in the 1990's Pittsburgh police were forced to abide by a consent decree that help bring the department in line. But he says he's sure the police union will come out against the legislation as hamstringing their operations, "that is demonstrably false because other police departments around the country do it, and the city of Pittsburgh police department has done it--they were forced to do it under the consent decree--and crime went down." Walczak says there's a perception in the black community that it is under siege, "and until and unless the city measures what their officers are doing and publicizes it, they can't credibly come out and say there's no problem." Wayne Babish, a former police officer and adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh supports the legislation and says over time, police officers will recognize its benefits, "a police chief would welcome and view this proposed legislation as an opportunity to communicate and collaborate with elected officials." Burgess' legislation was sparked by the alleged beating of Jordan Miles, a black high-school student, by white, plain-clothed police officers in Homewood in January 2010. An investigation into that incident is still pending.

March to Support Egyptian Uprising

Supporters of the political uprising in Egypt will march through Oakland this Saturday to raise awareness and spark discussion of the situation.

Chatham University global policy major Justine Sumrok organized the event. She says the march will bring together organizations like the Students for a Democratic Society, Students for Justice in Palestine, the Industrial Workers of the World and more.

Sumrok says the marchers will also demand the Obama administration stop financial and military aid to the current Egyptian government, led by President Hasni Mubarak.

Sumrok says she saw why the Egyptians are protesting when she studied in a poor area of Egypt last summer.

“These people suffered daily indignation at the hands of the police, which [is] one of the only forces still loyal to Mubarak. Witnessing the economic injustice, the level of unemployment, the complete lack of public service… I think them banding together and making a move towards democracy should always be supported.”

Sumrok says anyone who supports the uprising should join the march, which will begin at 1:00 p.m. Saturday at the University of Pittsburgh’s Posvar Hall.

Change in Gender ID Policy

PennDOT has changed its policy on how transgender people identify themselves on their driver's licenses. Transportation Department spokesman Craig Yetter says the agency and Equality Pennsylvania reached an agreement...
"Equality advocates approached the department and brought the policy change for passports to our attention and let us know there were 26 other states and the District of Columbia that had similar policies in place and then PennDOT took action to change the policy."
The U.S. Department of State in June implemented a change in policy regarding the gender markings on passports.
Under PennDOT's old policy, to change the gender on their licenses or state ID cards, people had to prove they had sexual reassignment surgery. The new policy that is effective immediately doesn't require proof of surgery. It does allow a change in gender on the licenses if people are living full-time in the new gender and it is verified by a licensed medical or psychological caregiver or social worker "whose practice includes helping people with gender identity issues."
Yetter says that can be done online at Department of Motor Vehicles website.