Allegheny County Coroner Cyril Wecht said that Pittsburgh police were justified in shooting and killing a man who had fired into a crowd outside of a Strip District nightclub in July.
Wecht, during an inquest Thursday, suggested that prosecutors could file charges against a man involved in a dispute before the shooting.
Police shot and killed Michael Platt, 28, after he began firing his pistol, killing Patrick Moore, 29, of Pittsburgh.
Testimony during an inquest last month revealed that Platt opened fire after the driver of the car he was in got into a verbal altercation with Jason Pfeil, 23, of Turtle Creek.
Pfeil, who is white, allegedly used a racial slur during the argument, after
which Platt, a black man, opened fire.
Wecht said that Platt's actions were not justified, but would not have happened if Pfeil had not argued with Eric Gooden, 28, of Pittsburgh, who was driving the car.
Chief Deputy Coroner Joseph Dominick said that other inquest
testimony showed Pfeil spit on Gooden while he was laying on the
ground handcuffed after the shooting. Gooden was later released
from custody and has not been charged in the incident.
Wecht's recommendations are non-binding.
City police and prosecutors didn't indicate whether they would follow Wecht's suggestion. There is no
timetable for making a decision, Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Michelle Papakie said.
Previous Stories:
Copyright 2001 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
