New Kensington, Arnold officers remain on leave following officer-involved shooting
Two New Kensington police officers and one Arnold officer remained on paid administrative leave Thursday, nearly a week after police shot and killed a man they say was brandishing a shotgun.
The incident happened around 2:30 p.m. Friday afternoon when police responded to calls about a man with a shotgun walking along Fourth Street in New Kensington’s Parnassus area.
Officers found Marc Morgan, 62, of New Kensington, walking up a hill on Center Avenue.
New Kensington police chief Bob Deringer said his two officers are on leave until a preliminary investigation by Westmoreland County detectives is completed and he can meet with them to discuss it.
He said it is unknown how long that will be.
In addition to New Kensington, officers from Arnold and Lower Burrell also responded.
Arnold police Chief Eric Doutt said he initially placed two officers on leave. One was set to return to work Thursday afternoon, while the other remained on paid administrative leave.
Doutt would not comment on his officer’s actions, citing the ongoing investigation.
Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck on Thursday said an investigation is ongoing and no details will be released until it is completed.
Peck said investigators know how many shots were fired and that surveillance video was reviewed from the area near the shooting. He did not say how many shots were fired.
“Until we have all the facts ascertained, we won’t make statements about the facts and conclusions of the shooting,” Peck said.
Deringer said all of the officers that were on the scene during the incident will be attending a critical incident debriefing.
“We are providing the officers with any and all assistance they need to assure they are OK physically and mentally,” Deringer said. “Their well-being is our top concern.”
A native of Upper Burrell, Morgan worked for 37 years for Family Services of Western Pennsylvania, where he was a supervisor for group homes for people with mental disabilities and abused children, according to his obituary.
His services and burial were private, per his wishes, his obituary said.
Staff writer Richard Cholodofsky contributed to this report.
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a TribLive reporter covering news in New Kensington, Arnold and Plum. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, Brian has been with the Trib since December 2000. He can be reached at brittmeyer@triblive.com.
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