By Megan Guza and Andrew Russell The Tribune-Review
PITTSBURGH — More than 500 protesters took to Pittsburgh’s South Side Saturday night into Sunday morning to protest the police shooting of an unarmed teenager Tuesday in East Pittsburgh borough.
The marchers began near the Birmingham Bridge about 8:30 p.m. Saturday and made their way down East Carson, moving slowly and peacefully. They turned around near the 10th Street Bridge and walked back in the other direction.
Antwon Rose, 17, was shot and killed when he ran from police during a traffic stop about 8:20 p.m. Authorities have identified the officer as Michael Rosfeld. Rosfeld had been on the job for several weeks but had been sworn in by the East Pittsburgh council less than two hours before the shooting.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner has ruled Rose’s death a homicide, and the cause of death ruled gunshot wounds to the trunk.
Rosfeld shot Rose three times as he ran from the traffic stop, which came after the vehicle in which Rose was a passenger was pulled over for matching the description of a car involved in an earlier shooting in nearby North Braddock.
Rose, a Woodland Hills honors student, was pronounced dead about 90 minutes after the shooting.
Rain did not deter protesters Saturday night. Pittsburgh police in riot gear gave protesters 15 minutes to disperse shortly after midnight.
Saturday night’s protest came after an earlier march-turned-protest stemming from the city’s scheduled Juneteenth celebration. The celebration commemorates the June 19, 1865, freedom declaration by Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger.
The march wound its way from Freedom Corner in the city’s Hill District to Point State Park. The morning’s march followed three nights of protests calling for change and justice for Rose’s shooting.
Four protesters were arrested Friday night in Homestead after they refused to leave the Homestead Grays Bridge. One woman was arrested early Friday after she refused to disperse with the rest of the crowd from the Parkway East. Those protests began Thursday night and bled into Friday morning.
Megan Guza and Andrew Russell are Tribune-Review staffers.
Around 250 people marched down E. Carson St. on Pittsburgh’s South Side. #AntwonRose ?@TribLIVE? pic.twitter.com/tsiGY2yxTA
— Andrew Russell (@RussBurgh) June 24, 2018
Organizers ask for hands up if you’ve lost someone to gun violence. Chant for “all guns down.” pic.twitter.com/4HOfBidDnH
— Megan Guza (@meganguzaTrib) June 23, 2018
©2018 The Tribune-Review (Greensburg, Pa.)