By Michael Hasch
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh’s Citizen Police Review Board agrees with other city investigators who determined that the police officer who arrested a woman during a violent altercation at a gay pride event did not use excessive force.
A short video clip of the arrest that went viral shows Officer Souroth Chatterji punching Ariel Lawther in the stomach after a confrontation with anti-gay protesters at the June 15 Pridefest celebration, Downtown.
Lawther, 19, of Harmony, was originally charged with aggravated assault and related crimes but later pleaded guilty to two summary counts of harassment and paid $440 in fines and court costs.
The Citizen Police Review Board determined that allegations that the officer mishandled the arrest “are unsustainable,” board executive director Elizabeth Pittinger said Wednesday night.
“The video evidence is consistent with the officer’s report,” Pittinger said. She said the evidence shows that Lawther “contributed to the confrontation” that led to her arrest.
Chatterji wrote in the criminal complaint that Lawther attacked an anti-gay activist. The officer also wrote that Lawther hit him as he was arresting her.
Officials in the Office of Municipal Investigations determined in September that Chatterji did not use excessive force.
Neither attorney Steve Barth, who has said he is handling a possible civil case on Lawther’s behalf, nor attorney Komron Jon Maknoon, who represented her during her criminal case, could be reached for comment.
Pittinger also said she wants to meet with city police officials to determine whether there is a better way to handle planning and crowd control at First Amendment-protected gatherings such as Pridefest.
Copyright 2015 The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review