CRAFTON, Pa. -- Police in Allegheny County announced a Crafton police officer has been arrested in connection with a fatal hit-and-run case.
According to a news release, Donnie Breeden, 38, turned himself in to officers on Friday. He faces charges in connection with the July 2007 death of David Hall.
"This is like a slap in the face for every police officer who honors their badge. All he had to do was stop – if he had been drinking or if he hadn’t been drinking – render aid, wait for police officers to arrive and report the information," said Assistant Police Chief Maurita Bryant.
Hall was killed after stopping to talk to a bus driver in the 1500 block of West Carson Street, near Station Square.
Police said Hall was hit by three different vehicles. All of the vehicles stopped after hitting Hall, but the first car left the scene before police arrived.
The police criminal complaint filed in the case states Breeden allegedly stopped at the scene and questioned those who gathered, asking them whether they saw anything. Confident that they had not, he left, telling his friends, "I'm a cop, I can't go to jail," the report states.
"We're happy that he's been found. It's really bad behavior by a police officer," said father Robert Hall. "It never goes away and today has brought it all back."
Detectives said a break in the case came after a tip led them to a person who was friend of Breeden's. That person returned to the scene of the crash shortly after it happened to ask about the condition of the victim, police said.
Police said their investigation found Breeden was on his way to meet friends at a night club in the South Side area when he struck Hall. Officers also said Breeden's 2003 Chevy Trailblazer showed signs of having been repaired.
Breeden had been with the Crafton police force since 1994. He's currently being held in the Allegheny County Jail.
He faces two charges of involuntary manslaughter and accidents involving death.
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