© Tribune ReviewFormer Allegheny County Sherrif's Detective Richard Dwyer
Richard Dwyer was fired by the Allegheny County sheriff after he tested positive for cocaine shortly after he and a U.S. Marshal fatally shot Leslie Sapp as they attempted to arrest him Jan. 6 at his Knoxville home, reported the Tribune-Review.
The 44-year-old Dwyer fired at least one of the seven shots that struck Sapp, who was accused of sexually assaulting a young girl.
Prosecutors said Sapp took a shooting stance with what was later found to be a pellet gun as deputies and members of a U.S. Marshals task force attempted to take him into custody.
Dwyer could be charged if investigators are able to determine his cognitive abilities were impaired at the time of the shooting.
"If an officer is under the influence of drugs and it affects his cognitive skills, and somehow this person is dead because he didn't act properly because of the drugs, that could be involuntary manslaughter," said District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.
Drug tests are part of the standard investigative procedure during officer-involved shootings.
Reader Comments
In the above report, I see the words "Suspect" & "Accused"...
What I don't see is the word "Convicted"...
Now I know that the subject of RAPE is a hot-button topic, but surely you not advocating 'executing' suspects without a trial. And even though law & order in America is sinking into an abyss of totalitarianism & thuggery, there is STILL "Innocent until proven guilty", at least officially.
After all Leslie Sapp may well have been a scumbag rapist, but isn't it better to hold a trial first to at least give him a chance to prove himself innocent.
Or would you prefer to just become another member of the 'baying mob' out for blood no matter the cost.
And don't forget... Next time you could be the one who's accused.
"If an officer is under the influence of drugs and it affects his cognitive skills, and somehow this person is dead because he didn't act properly because of the drugs"
I can't see how they could charge one officer with manslaughter but then say that it was fine for the US Marshal to shoot the same person
The only cognitive skills these goons have is government uniform / terrorist ... white person / black person
They keep it pretty simple, I can't really see how a line of Charlie is going to change that
Maybe he took the "je suis Charlie" thing a bit too literally!