PITTSBURGH -- An open coroner's inquest is being held to decide if charges should be filed in the case of an Altoona man who died after an altercation with Mount Oliver police.

Video

Witnesses Describe Alleged Brutality Suspect Dies; Chris Glorioso Reports From Mt. Oliver

Officers responded to the borough fire hall on Brownsville Road after receiving a complaint that a drunken man was disrupting a birthday party early on the morning of Dec. 21. They arrested Gregory and Charles Dixon, who were allegedly drunk and combative.

Charles Dixon stopped breathing while being restrained, police said. He was revived and taken to Mercy Hospital, where he died after spending most of the following two days on life-support equipment.

Officer Ronald Lacher testified Tuesday that Charles Dixon refused to leave the fire hall after the disturbance at the party and struggled with police during his arrest.

Several witnesses said Charles Dixon was a victim of brutality, with one officer allegedly rushing him and knocking him to the ground and more than a dozen piling on top. One witness said an officer jammed his knee into the back of Dixon's neck while the suspect was down.

Police testified that two or three officers pinned Charles Dixon to the floor.

Allegheny County prosecutor Edward Borkowski asked several testifying officers and Chief Frank Mossesso if they received training regarding positional asphyxiation, which can happen if a person who is face-down has a large weight placed on his back for a long period of time.

Mossesso said the department does not train its officers on that subject. But three officers who were present during Charles Dixon's arrest said they learned about positional asphyxia in the police academy.

Officer Mark Manno is 5-foot-11 and 295 pounds, and was the largest officer at the scene. He said he never applied pressure to Charles Dixon's back to subdue the man, who was 5-foot-11 and more than 300 pounds.

Errol Mangham, who accompanied Charles Dixon to the party, testified that he saw police rush the man and knock him to the floor.

"I said, 'They're going to kill him!' We were looking eye-to-eye and he said 'I can't breathe.' An officer had him in a choke hold," Mangham said.

Officer Michael DeLuca denied that he knocked Dixon to the floor, and five officers have testified that Charles Dixon never said he couldn't breathe.

But Mangham said he saw an officer place his hands over Charles Dixon's nose and mouth.

"That was the most disturbing part. It was like I was watching a kid drown and you can't swim. You can't jump in and help him," he said.

County Coroner Cyril Wecht said he has not determined the cause and manner of Dixon's death.

Testimony is scheduled to continue March 4.