Week in review: Protests span the city, mail-in ballots counted, Turnpike workers laid off

A protest that started out peacefully Saturday turned violent, leaving two Pittsburgh police cruisers in flames. The weekend protests were spurred by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died when a white Minneapolis police officer but his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes.

The peaceful protest, hijacked by a smaller group of instigators, could have been much worse, officials said. Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said there is information the crowd hoped to burn more than two police cruisers. More than 70 businesses were also damaged in the melee.

Primary election

The primary election in Pennsylvania Tuesday left workers in Westmoreland County counting more than 40,000 mail-in ballots sent in by voters in advance. Republican and Democratic voters nominated candidates for U.S. president, Congress, state attorney general, auditor general and treasurer, as well as state House and Senate seats.

But several ballots have yet to be counted, leaving several races too close to call, after more than 1.8 million people applied for mail-in or absentee ballots. Voters returned almost 1.4 million of them, or 75.5%, the Associated Press said.

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission announces layoffs

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission this month will lay off about 500 employees — mostly toll collectors — as it switches permanently to a cashless system statewide. That’s roughly half the commission’s total workforce.

The commission originally planned to make the switch to cashless late next year, promising no layoffs until 2022. However, because of the coronavirus pandemic, the commission stopped accepting cash in March — a move that was called a temporary measure.

Reward offered in killing North Huntingdon chiropractor

Friends and family of a North Huntingdon chiropractor who was killed in his office in November are offering a reward for information about his death. Attorney Dan Beisler said the last six months have been frustrating for the loved ones of 54-year-old David S. Bailey.

An employee discovered Bailey’s body the morning of Nov. 29 inside his Parkway Drive office, 30 minutes before it opened. Police ruled the death a homicide, but still have not said publicly how he died. No charges have been filed.

Beisler, a friend of Bailey’s, said 12 families have pledged money for the reward. A digital billboard on Route 30 near the Irwin interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike urges anyone with information to call township police. Beisler declined to say how much the reward is worth.

Police tactics investigated

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto on Wednesday ordered an investigation into police tactics used to disperse protesters from the streets of East Liberty on Monday night. The order comes after Peduto was provided a written transcript of police command radio communications.

The communications among police on the scene Monday night were not broadcast on a public scanner channel; rather, they were likely done via one of the bureau’s encrypted channels.

He said he has asked the Office of Municipal Investigations to do a full investigation along with the Citizens Police Review Board in conjunction with the American Civil Liberties Unions, the local NAACP and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Move to green

Westmoreland, Allegheny and 14 other counties moved to the green phase of the state’s three-phase reopening plan Friday. Residents of green-phase counties are encouraged to continue wearing masks in public spaces and to follow physical distancing measures, such as staying 6 feet apart, Gov. Wolf said.

Hair salons and barber shops must operate by appointment only; visitation to prisons and hospitals may resume; and indoor and outdoor dining at restaurants and bars is allowed, as long as physical distance guidelines are followed.

Call for police reform

Peduto during a call for police reform Thursday morning said there are indications that police commanders did not give the go-ahead for using tear gas to disperse protesters during a Monday night protest in East Liberty.

The hours-long march for racial justice began to break up around 7 p.m., according to police, at which point a group broke off and allegedly began smashing windows, starting fires and throwing rocks at police. “At that point,” Peduto said, “the lieutenant on duty requests the use of gas and that request apparently (was) denied by command staff.”