Council preparing to settle with man shot by officer

Legislation introduced in Pittsburgh City Council today would pay $40,000 to settle a federal lawsuit suit by a man who claimed he was shot without provocation by an intoxicated off-duty city police officer.

The settlement would pay $40,000 to South Side resident Kaleb Miller, who said Officer Paul Abel accosted him outside a neighborhood convenience store about 2:10 a.m. June 28, 2008.

He said Officer Abel was intoxicated and sometimes incoherent and accused Mr. Miller of assaulting him. He said Officer Abel ordered him to the ground, struck him in the back of his head with a pistol and shot him in the right hand as Mr. Miller tried to protect his head with that hand. Mr. Miller said he later saw Officer Abel sitting on the sidewalk, "twirling his pistol."

Mr. Miller said on-duty officers arrived and arrested him. He said he was released when the on-duty officers realized he hadn't assaulted Officer Abel after all. Mr. Miller was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Officer Abel was suspended but returned to his job a year later after an arbitrator ruled in his favor.

After the ruling, city officials said they feared their inability to terminate officers who use excessive force would erode public trust.





First published on January 4, 2011 at 11:22 am