Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 13

Mar 06 2010 Post-Gazette PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE 7, 2010 WWW.POST-GAZETTE.COM A-13 When their stature is not an advantage, female officers learn to adapt, said David Wright, the city lead defensive tactics instructor. He tells them to focus on weaknesses, rather than their size. bad guy is the bad guy, not going to give you any special favors because a female and Officer Wright said. may be just the Officer Cristyn Zett, who is about 5 feet 4 inches tall, once scuffled with a woman six or seven inches taller. At the time a patrol officer on the North Side, Officer Zett had approached the woman to talk with her, but turned into an arrest really she said.

The two struggled for just a few minutes before backup arrived. To Officer Zett, it felt longer. was trying to pin her leg and grab her arm at the same time but she was reaching she said. was difficult to do because I was short. I have the arm length that she In 10 years on the force, Officer Zett has patrolled the streets and worked in the narcotics and vice units.

Now she teaches at the academy. usually physically intervene in something unless I have backup she said. 5 4, I am not that heavy and it causes difficulty with certain things. But I try to apply my Calling for backup is important, said plainclothes detective Georgette Scafede. Violent offenders sometimes see a lone officer man or woman as an opportunity, she said.

they see more of you, they think she said. And being smaller can sometimes be an advantage. Early in Officer Christine 17-year career, she said she encountered a mentally ill woman who was threats to from inside her home. Officers needed to get inside to subdue the woman. was the only one small she said.

could put me through the But Officer Luffey, a crime prevention officer on the South Side, said being a woman brings other benefits to police work. She has calmed fiery emotions during fights, she said, and people on the street sometimes feel like they can open up to her because she does not appear threatening. can be good or bad, depending on the she said. Last year, her kindness was tested when she told a man she would tow his illegally parked car, which was leaking fluid into the street. He asked if he could get some things out of it first, then jumped inside the car and drove it straight toward her squad car with her at the wheel.

She swerved, narrowly avoiding him. show me the respect that I showed Officer Luffey said. will either respect a woman and respect the uniform, or they said Officer Burkart. have to show them that not willing to back down. They have to know equal to If not equal in size, she said, remind a person who tries to fight her that she has a Taser, then if necessary, a gun.

But verbal commands can be just as effective. say the best weapon you have is your pen, your pad or paper and your The female recruits in training at the police academy know what to expect when they hit the streets. This week, they practiced ground fighting with other recruits, locked in simulated struggles on the floor of a gymnasium at the Allegheny County police training academy. Liz Vitalbo, 27, and Angie Lane, 22, have been in training for 22 weeks, and have 10 more to go. Ms.

Vitalbo is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 120 pounds; Ms. Lane is an inch taller and 10 pounds heavier. They said they are concerned that their size might present challenges, but are learning in training how to and use what we do have to our Ms. Lane said. we do have someone brings a fight, we as females just lay down and say, hit us because got to fight she said.

fight your badge. Not your Sadie Gurman: or 412-2631878. omen deal with the good, the bad of being an officer FROM PAGE A-11 backed by Mr. Onorato, UPMC would pay about $5 million to tear down the building. It would offer the county $3 million, which would leverage another $3 million from the state for redevelopment, and pay $90,000 in lieu of wage taxes to Braddock for five years.

However, Braddock Council members, residents and members of the group Save Our Community Hospitals initially rejected the proposal, contending the county and UPMC never tried to recruit another health care provider to take over the facility and operate it as a hospital. They say UPMC and the county are rushing to tear down the building to deny the borough any chance at another health care provider that would run it as a hospital. But after a two-hour meeting with Mr. Onorato on Feb. 19, Braddock officials and opponents of the hospital closure said they had a better understanding of the proposal and would decide whether to support it this month.

Also in his letter, Mr. Hall told Judge Strassburger that UPMC never planned to tear down the building until determined that building demolition and site redevelopment was the only feasible stand willing and able to make an additional, substantial financial contribution in order to assist the Borough of Braddock and surrounding communities and are awaiting word from the County Executive and officials as to the final said Mr. Hall. Allegheny County Councilman Charles P. McCullough, who is representing some Braddock officials and a number of residents and activists in both cases against the county and UPMC, contends that Mr.

Onorato, by refusing to sit at the negotiation table, has become an obstacle for all parties involved. has failed to lead and he refuses to stand with the people of Braddock. Instead, he is standing in the way of UPMC and the residents of Braddock who want an amicable said Mr. McCullough. Karamagi Rujumba: kru- or 412-263-1719.

Judge offers to mediate UPMC Braddock cases mc, FROM PAGE A-11 EAST 10-year-old accidentally shoots teen in Swissvale A 14-year-old boy was shot in the chest by a small-caliber gun in Swissvale Saturday morning in what appears to be an accident, borough police officials said. A 10-year-old boy accidentally shot the victim in a third- floor room at 7816 St. Lawrence Ave. at about 11:30 police said. The victim was rushed to Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

His condition was not known. The boys were part of a group of five youths who were playing with two guns when one of the weapons accidentally discharged, said Swissvale police Chief Greg Geppert. seems that it was an accident. Even the victim said it was an said Chief Geppert. The 10-year-old, two 14-year- olds and a 15-year-old were taken to Allegheny County Police headquarters for further interviews about the shooting.

Chief Geppert would not comment on the kind of guns the boys were playing with or whether they were obtained legally. He said it appeared that the guns belonged to the youths. It was unclear how many adults were in the house at the time of the shooting. Fugitive in California shooting death arrested in Wilkinsburg A man wanted on homicide charges in the state of California was arrested Friday afternoon during a traffic stop in Wilkinsburg, authorities said. Police said Ellis Ross, 24, of Vallejo, is accused of shooting an individual numerous times outside a liquor store in Solano County during the early morning hours of Feb.

10. During his arrest Friday, Mr. Ross was the passenger in a vehicle with 44-year-old Ronald Lewis of Wilkinsburg, who was also arrested on a local warrant for an unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, according to the Allegheny County department. Deputies were in the area executing warrants in Wilkinsburg when they said they observed Mr. Lewis speeding, disregarding traffic signs and running stop signs.

They followed him and pulled him over shortly after he ran a stop sign in the 1300 block of Maple Avenue, authorities said. Deputies said that during a pat-down, a large amount of marijuana fell from his jacket. Mr. Lewis will be charged with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive, fleeing and eluding, distribution of a controlled substance, false reports to law enforcement and several motor vehicle violations, authorities said. Mr.

Ross will be charged with distribution of a controlled substance and being a fugitive from justice. SOUTH Out-of-control car strikes officer, man in Elizabeth An Elizabeth Township police officer and a passenger he was assisting at the scene of an accident on Route 48 were struck by an out-of-control car early Saturday. Both escaped serious injuries. Both the officer, Jamie Evans, 33, and the other man, whose name was not released, were taken by medical helicopters to Allegheny General Hospital and UPMC Presbyterian, respectively. Elizabeth Township Police Chief Robert W.

McNeilly Jr. said the officer suffered a broken bone in the pelvic area and some facial lacerations. He said he was told the other leg was broken. The episode began shortly before 2 a.m. when Officer Evans and Officer Dan Novacek were on patrol and noticed icy patches on Route 48 near Valley View Road.

They contacted PennDOT to have the road treated. Shortly after, Chief McNeilly said, the officers either were dispatched to or happened upon a car that had slid off Route 48 in that icy area. The female driver was still behind the wheel and her male passenger was trying to help her get the car back onto the southbound lane. The officers parked their cruiser about 10 yards away. As Officer Evans was speaking to the man in the yard, Officer Novacek heard a car approaching at a high rate of speed, sliding sideways and toward the men.

Officer Evans ended up underneath the cruiser. The driver of the car that struck the men, Michael A. Leber, 23, of Glassport, was taken to UPMC McKeesport to determine if he had been driving under the influence. WEST Investigation continues into plane crash in Ohio Federal and local authorities continue to investigate the Ohio crash of a small plane that killed the two Indiana men flying to Pennsylvania. The Highway Patrol says pilot Arthur Potter, 67, of Greenwood, and passenger Frank Granato, 55, of Carmel, died in the Friday crash in Union County in central Ohio.

Jerome Township Fire Chief Scott Skeldon says a search began after the plane failed to make a scheduled refueling stop at the Union County Airport. The single-engine 2007 Evek- tor-Aerotechnik SportStar Plus was found in a wooded area about 8:30 p.m. ADISPUTEOVER THEFINEPRINT. IPARKEDMY CARANDGOT SIDESWIPEDBY Therightinsurancepartnerhelpsyou LibertyMutual sdedicatedteamoflocalagentscancustomizeyourpolicyforyou.Thatway,ifyou CoverageunderwrittenandprovidedbyLibertyMutualInsuranceCompanyandaf Visitalocalof 8am-4pm 412.481.0333 Classes run Monday-Wednesday-Friday Noon-4pm at FREE WELDING CLASSES FOR VETERANS All classes are free to eligible veterans who have an Honorable Discharge, high school diploma or GED and a valid PA license. Steamfitters Local 449 Technology Center 1459 Woodruff Street Pittsburgh, PA 15220.