Sep 21, 2019 1 min read

A police officer ambushed by a gunman that resulted in the death of a fellow officer has retired from the Canonsburg police force in the midst of a magisterial race in which he and another officer are candidates.

Jimmy Saieva, 50, of Houston, was wounded but survived the November 2016 episode that took the life of Officer Scott L. Bashioum.

Borough council accepted Saieva’s retirement earlier this month, effective Sept. 1. During the same meeting, council hired a new police officer, David Meiers.

Saieva, who could not immediately be reached for comment, won the Republican nomination in the May 21 primary for the magisterial position being vacated by the retiring District Judge David Mark.

Saieva faces Canonsburg police Sgt. Chuckie Tenney, Democratic nominee, in the Nov. 5 election to a six-year term.

In addition to the two boroughs, the magisterial district includes Chartiers and Canton townships.

Bashioum and Saieva were responding to a domestic dispute at a home on Woodcrest Drive when they were shot.

Michael Cwiklinski and his pregnant wife, Dahlia, were the apparent victims of a suicide and murder, respectively.