Acting Chief: Police failed to patrol Brighton Heights funeral despite request

Pittsburgh police on Thursday said their protection had been requested at a Brighton Heights funeral where six people were injured in a shooting last week, but officers were not there when the violence erupted.

A shooting outside Destiny of Faith Church on Oct. 28 cut short a funeral for North Side resident John Hornezes Jr., one of three people killed in a triple shooting last month near Allegheny Commons.

Police command staff interviewed personnel and learned a police presence had been requested for the service, according to a city statement.

“We regret that PBP (Pittsburgh Bureau of Police) did not provide the presence asked of us on this difficult day,” Acting Police Chief Thomas Stangrecki said.

Following the shooting, officials said, police began conducting inquiries to determine whether police protection was provided for the funeral. Five people were shot and wounded. Police later determined a sixth person was injured while trying to escape.

Stangrecki said the bureau was conducting an internal investigation “into what went wrong in this situation.” He did not provide any explanation as to why officers may not have been there when requested.

Church officials declined to comment on the city’s admission.

Officials said disciplinary action will be “issued as warranted and handled internally.”

Public safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said the request was for an official on-duty police detail. She declined to disclose who requested the police protection, saying it was part of the internal investigation.

However, The Rev. Brenda Gregg told the Tribune-Review on the day of the shooting that she asked Pittsburgh police beforehand to send officers to the funeral service. Gregg is the church’s founder and senior pastor.

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said “strong police-community relationships” are paramount in the city’s efforts to build peace in the community.

“Part of being a strong community partner, and a good neighbor, means that we show up when we say we are going to do so,” he said. “We can’t expect to win the trust of our communities if we don’t respond to the call.”

The mayor said he could not speak to any potential disciplinary actions while the investigation is ongoing, but said officials “will hold those accountable for their actions.”

“As not only police officers, but members of this community, we consider this totally unacceptable,” Stangrecki said. “As previously stated in other briefings, it is our hope that the inactions of a few do not reflect negatively on the actions of many who worked diligently to respond, investigate and bring those responsible to justice in the aftermath of this tragedy.”

Shawn Davis, 19, of McKees Rocks and Hezekiah Nixon, 16, of Pittsburgh are facing charges in connection with the shooting. Police said the pair fired shots outside the Brighton Heights church.

Police on Sunday recovered a gun matching the description of the weapon used in the shooting. The gun was reported stolen out of Shaler.

City Councilman Bobby Wilson, who represents the area where the shootings occurred, said the incident should be a wake-up call for city officials to improve security for all funerals, memorial services and other events honoring homicide victims. He called for a police presence at all such events, and said there should be a coordinated effort with the city’s outreach workers, police and other officials to ensure the victims’ families have the resources, support and security they need.

“This is an opportunity where we can break the cycle of constant gun violence,” Wilson said. “This is a tragedy, and I don’t want anyone to forget the loss that happened here. This is an opportunity to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again at any situation where there might be a retaliatory event.”

Wilson said there should also be additional protections and resources offered for people who are wounded but not killed as a result of gun violence.

“We want to make sure there’s no gap in the system,” he said. “What we need to do here is officially make protocols around how we are going to handle this retaliatory gun violence.”