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Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 115 No. 10 Two Sections
MARCH 6-12, 2024
thenewpittsburghcourier Published Weekly $1.00
DIFFERING OPINIONS
Ruling imminent on whether Black police officer who used Taser on Jim Rogers gets his job back by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that a ruling could be made on or before March 30 on whether fired Pittsburgh Police Officer Keith Edmonds will be eligible to get his job back. He is the officer who used a Taser multiple times on Jim Rogers during an altercation in Bloomfield in 2021. Currently, there is a labor arbitration case occurring between the City of Pittsburgh and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 1, the union that represents Pittsburgh Police officers. The FOP is arguing that Edmonds, who is Black, should be permitted to get his job back as a Pittsburgh Police officer, after he and numerous other officers were terminated by the City of Pittsburgh following the death of Rogers. There have been other officers who were fired who have since returned to the force, but not Edmonds, who is the officer that had the initial interaction with Rogers on Harriet Street in Bloomfield on Oct. 13, 2021. Officers were originally called to the area that day because of re-
ports that Rogers stole a bike. Turns out, the bike was left for someone, anyone, to take, but police were called anyway. Edmonds' own police worn body camera showed the use of his Taser on Rogers numerous times as Edmonds was trying to get Rogers into custody. There was some resistance by Rogers, but ultimately the Taser took him to the ground. Rogers, who was unarmed, eventually was placed into a police cruiser after police backup arrived, but was not taken to a hospital for more than 30 minutes after he was in custody. Officers who were different from Edmonds drove Rogers through various city neighborhoods and then ultimately to UPMC Mercy Hospital in Uptown. However, those like attorney Todd Hollis, who represents the family of Rogers, said that Rogers could have easily been transported to the nearby West Penn Hospital, which is in Bloomfield. Rogers died the following day, Oct. 14, 2021. He was 54 years old. About six months later, Pittsburgh's first Black SEE OPINONS A3
BILLY JOE JORDAN, an uncle of Jim Rogers, and his wife, Myrtle Jordan, watch the video of Rogers being apprehended and subsequently left in a police vehicle for more than 17 minutes without medical attention. Rogers died in October 2021. (Photo by J.L. Martello)
Snowstorm? No match for annual Ronald H. Brown Leadership Awards Gala Urban League’s annual event sees more than 400 attend, $400,000 raised by Renee P. Aldrich For New Pittsburgh Courier
Neither frigid temperatures nor a winter storm advisory kept the more than 400 celebrants from attending the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh’s 28th annual Ronald H. Brown Leadership Awards Gala on Friday, Feb. 16. The guests gathered at the Rivers Casino ballroom on the North Shore for a virtual "Who’s Who in Black Pittsburgh." Just some of the power brokers present were Pittsburgh’s Mayor, Ed Gainey; Dr. Kathy Humphrey, President of Carlow University, William Generett Jr., Esq., Vice President of Civic Engagement and External Relations at Duquesne University, and Demeatria Boccella, President of Fashion Africana. Additionally, two CEOs from other Urban League branches were in attendance; Darrin W. Anderson Sr., Ph.D., M.S., President and CEO, Urban League of Philadelphia, and Dr.
Erin R. Houston, Ph.D., President and CEO, the Shenango County Urban League Inc. This year's honorees were: Carmen Anderson (Vice President of Equity and Learning, The Heinz Endowments), Civic Leadership Award; Derrick Tillman (President, Bridging the Gap Development), Civic Leadership Award; Leah Lizarondo (CEO and co-founder of 412 Food Rescue), Community Leadership Award; and Alexandra Jones, Emerging Leadership Award. Pennsylvania's Second Lady, Blayre Holmes Davis, and Bryan Iams presented a joint welcome, after which, there was a video message from the Governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, extending his personal congratulations to both the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and the honorees. Andrew Stockey, of WTAE-TV (4), served as SEE URBAN LEAGUE A6
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URBAN LEAGUE RON BROWN LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS—Derrick Tillman, Alexandra Jones, Leah Lizarondo, Carmen Anderson. (Photo by J.L. Martello)