Probe: Cop’s forceful arrest at Pittsburgh’s gay pride event OK
Notice: Undefined variable: article_ad_placement3 in /usr/web/cs-washington.ogdennews.com/wp-content/themes/News_Core_2023_WashCluster/single.php on line 128
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh city officials determined a police officer did not use excessive force when he punched a woman at a gay pride event in June.
City solicitor Lourdes Sanchez-Ridge made the announcement Friday afternoon.
The officer, Souroth Chatterji, said he was trying to break up a fight when he grabbed the woman by the head and punched her in the side so he could handcuff her. The officer said the woman, Ariel Lawther of Harmony, fought with him and kicked him in the groin. She was charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest.
A news release said the officer is back on duty.
The Delta Foundation, a local group that advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, asked police to investigate the officer’s actions after a friend of Lawther’s posted video of the encounter.