PITTSBURGH -- A police fund has been set up to help the families of Pittsburgh's three fallen officers at the Pittsburgh Police Federal Credit Union.
Contributions for the
Pittsburgh Fallen Heroes Fund in memory of Officers Eric Kelly, Stephen Mayhle and Paul Sciullo II can be sent to 1338 Chartiers Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15220. The phone number is 412-922-4800.
Watch Ari's ReportFor more information, visit the Web site for the local Fraternal Order of Police at
www.pittsburghpolicefop.com.
"If they have a specific need to where they'd like to see their money go, we can accommodate that," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said.
Also, memorial T-shirts are being sold via PayPal at
PittsburghFallenHeroes.com to benefit the police fund.
"Business has been very brisk and very good," said Larry Ennis, of Custom Printed Graphics on the city's South Side. "I mean, it's sad we have to do this, but if we're going to do it, we're going to do it the best we can and we're going to raise as much money as we can."
Adult shirts cost $20 for sizes small through extra large, $22 for XXL and $24 for XXXL. Shirts are not available in child sizes.
"We appreciate all the public support that we have received. It's just been overwhelming for the families of these officers and not just for them, but for all the members of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police," said FOP Union President Dan O'Hara.
"I think it's fantastic, but I'm overwhelmed with it -- absolutely," said Detective Pat Moffatt, who helped design the shirt.
Dozens of retired police officers are volunteering their time to help pack and ship the shirts to customers.
"We're all brothers," said retired Officer Kim Sweeney . "It is a thin blue line. We are all here for each other."
"It's kind of a two-edged sword," said said retired Officer Mike Ranallo, who said Sciullo was a friend. "It's nice to be here to do this in his memory, but on the other hand, I hate being here having to do this because of his memory."
"Coming down here and just doing this for a couple of hours a day is really nothing compared to what those guys did, you know what I'm saying?" retired Officer Al Stegena said.
The public is reminded that contributions must be coordinated through the official Pittsburgh Fallen Heroes Fund. Do not give money to -- or buy memorial shirts from -- anyone other than police, because the FOP is trying to prevent scams and make sure donations end up in the proper hands.
"There's people out there we all know don't respect law enforcement, but for every person that does not respect law enforcement, there's 10 that do. This is their time to speak and the time they get to show their support," said FOP Union Vice President Chuck Hanlon.
Kelly, Mayhle and Sciullo were shot to death when they responded to a domestic disturbance call at Richard Poplawski's home in Stanton Heights on April 4. The 22-year-old Poplawski is charged with three counts of homicide.
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