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| Mother testifies cop pulled gun on her kids |
By Deborah M. Todd |
Published
09/21/2006
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Metro
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Lawton delivers testimony to Citizens Police Review Board
PITTSBURGH, PA (RTNS) - When Pamela Lawton stepped to the microphone at the Pittsburgh Citizens Police Review Board hearing on police conduct, the 75 people who crowded into City Council Chambers gave her their complete attention.
 | SPEAK UP--Minister Jasiri X introduces Pamela Lawton to the Civilian Police Review Board before her testimony.
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Lawton, a Hill District mother who claims Pittsburgh Police officer Eric Tatusko pulled a gun on her and a car full of children during a traffic stop, told the CPRB her story of the traumatic encounter, which traumatized her children and has yet to be addressed by any public official.
Lawton, joined at the speakers’ podium by Min. Jasiri X of Muhammad Mosque 22, spoke calmly and without tears for about eight minutes. Jasiri X also asked more than 20 people who came in support of Lawton to stand as she delivered her testimony.
Lawton said that on Aug. 26, she was driving her green, 1998 Ford Windstar with her two daughters, 7-year-old Joshalyn, 8-year-old Jasmine, and two other children ages 2 and 3. She said she was pulled over at the intersection at Kentucky Street and Negley Avenue. She said the police officer told her to “get your hands up,” and then pulled out his gun, on the passenger side of the vehicle when a Pittsburgh Police cruiser signaled for her to pull over.
“I said, ‘What’s the problem, officer?’ and he said ‘Get your hands up,’” wrote Lawton in a prepared statement. “He repeated, pulled out his gun and pointed into the passenger side of the window where my youngest daughter was trying to get her seatbelt off. So, I put my hands up.”
According to Lawton she testified that she and her children spent the next 20 to 30 minutes trying to convince officer Tatusko to put his weapon down or at least address his concerns to her. She testified that at one point, Tatusko cocked his gun to prepare to fire, while still training the gun on the children on the passenger side, telling 8-year-old Joshalyn if she moved again, he would “blow her brains out.”
“The children were in the car screaming and crying,” she wrote in a statement. “My hands were still in the air and I was screaming ‘Help, someone help!’ over and over again.”
“I understand why in a case like this you have to find out if it’s true or not,” said Lawton, concluding her testimony. “I’m here to tell you this is real so please help me.” Her remarks drew applause from the audience.
The CPRB then recessed to take her official statement.
The details of the police report said that Lawton became “belligerent and disorderly” during the stop. However, it did not say officer Tatusko drew his weapon or called for backup, which counters what witnesses at the scene said. Several police cars came to the scene and the officers reportedly put Tatusko in one of the cruisers, and then searched Lawton’s vehicle, which was later towed.
Several witnesses have corroborated Lawton’s version of the incident, which the CPRB is also investigating.
However, Elizabeth Pittinger, executive director of the CPRB, said that if it is determined that a criminal act took place, the police would then conduct the investigation, and the CPRB would then be out of the loop. “Then it would be up to the district attorney to file charges,” she said.
The incident is being investigated by the city Office of Municipal Investigations, according to Pittsburgh Police spokesperson Tammy Ewin.
Ewin confirmed that Lawton received citations for disorderly conduct, operating a vehicle without a certificate of inspection, a lack of insurance and suspension of her license.
“There is no reason why a child should be afraid of the police. In school they teach that Officer Friendly will protect you,” testified Kay “The Button Pusher” Bey. “There’s a seven-year-old little girl right now who’s scared to go to sleep because of Officer Friendly. That is not acceptable, you shouldn’t accept it, I don’t accept it.”
“I don’t understand the dangers that officers face when they patrol the streets of Pittsburgh. However, it doesn’t add up to officers drawing weapons on unarmed women and children,” said Bomani Howze, a local teacher and father who brought his young son to the hearing with him. Howze said he has sent letters to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and council persons Bill Peduto, Tonya Payne and Twanda Carlisle urging them to look into the incident. No council persons attended the hearing.
“If we as Black men cannot protect our women and children, we do not deserve to live, period,” said Min. Jasiri X. “We need to stand up and get a backbone and back our community and protect our community. We ought to be the ones who police our community.”
“We cannot tolerate our two-year olds, our three-year olds, our seven-year olds, our eight-year olds with guns in their face,” said Tim Stevens of the Black Political Empowerment Project, who said he would send a letter to police chief Dom Costa urging action on the matter.
Although Pittinger was encouraged by the passion of those who came to speak out, she wishes the public showed interest in the board on a more consistent basis. Last year, she said the board held a meeting to discuss the experience of children exposed to police violence and very few people showed up. While she plans to use the meeting to introduce new initiatives like a Youth Working Group to the board, she also wishes she could do these kinds of things before major events happen. She summed up the CPRB’s need for public input by noting what her board chair, Marsha Hinton, told the crowd that night. “The power of the board rests in you.”
(Deborah Todd is a staff writer for the New Pittsburgh Courier.)
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Comments
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Comment #1
(Posted by Christine)
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It is wonderful that Ms. Lawton realizes her freedom of speech rights, but it is really unfair that she is running around spreading her side of the story, which no ones knows if she is telling the truth or not, and people are just blindly supporting her. People are making judgments based on one person's side of the story. The Officer cannot defend himself because this matter IS under investigation and people need to let the Office of Municipal Investigations do their job before making assumptions. Maybe someone would like to ask Ms. Lawton why she was driving a vehicle with a suspended license and no insurance. What type of example is SHE setting for the children in her vehicle - that it is okay to break certain laws when you feel like it - that it is only minor violations??
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Comment #2
(Posted by mia)
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This is an outrage. Not only should he be fired but prosecuted as well.
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Comment #3
(Posted by El Ojo)
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I can't believe the commenter who left the first message can be so comfortable with this kind of thing. I have a 12-year-old and a 9-year-old. Nothing -- absolutely nothing -- would ever justify anyone drawing down on them, no matter what I may or may not have done. Kids do not behave the same way adults do, or respond to things the same way. No, we don't conclusively know what happened. But this woman has done the right thing -- the proper authority here is the CPRB. She isn't crying to Al Sharpton. She's testifying in a civil hearing before the correct authority. And even the possibility that this woman's claim might be even partially correct should frighten the living heck out of us all.
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Comment #4
(Posted by DR. LEO CASINO)
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On my recent visit to Pittsburgh I NOTICED THAT OUR PEOPLE need to recapture the spirit we had in earlier years. Where Black men were giants, brave, courageous and giving. Now the brothers need to stand and be men who fight for our children, not only stopping police brutality, but Black on Black murders.
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Comment #5
(Posted by Chris)
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For the first poster, other witnesses verified her story. I don't know how that got by your eyes.
"Several witnesses have corroborated Lawtons version of the incident, which the CPRB is also investigating". They should have internal affairs check the group out. Especially since the other officers are siding with the psycho officer. If there was really something wrong he should have had her exit the vehicle.
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Comment #6
(Posted by Anonymous)
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Stop making this a Black "thang"! This has to do with our rights as Americans, Black, white, whatever. Give the whole Black men have to protect their women crap a rest. Every man needs to protect their family with nutty cops like this out there.
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Comment #7
(Posted by Frank)
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The story told is a work that is a fiction and should not be made a work of fact.
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Comment #8
(Posted by Lashawnah Muhammad)
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What I Think about the situation is that the Officer didn't have no right of pulling a gun on those children like that and Sistah Lawton, she has every right to stand up for herself and her children because of what had happened. I mean just like Tim Stevens had mentioned, that we cannot tolerate our 2 , 3 or even 7 year olds or even 8 year olds w/ guns in their faces like that because you see, the police out here talking about serving and protecting people, yeah right. and they're out here pulling guns on our babies. Pull a gun on somebody your own size, just like back in the day you've had cops hosing the masses of our people down, beating, our people w/their billy clubs, and etc. All of us as Black people should have Justice alllllllllll the way and I'm behind Sistah Lawton all the way and my heart goes right out to her and her children 100%, just not right, just not right. and if America was a free country which America isn't free, where in the heck is our 40 acres and a mule at.
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Comment #9
(Posted by Paradise Gray)
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Follow Up:
There is a Civilian Police Review Board Meeting tonight (Tuesday, September 26th) at the City County building. 6:00 pm 5th fl.
Join "One Hood" in demanding justice for victims of Police brutality, you don't have to speak, just show up and listen.
This is a call to all concerned citizens in the Pittsburgh area. Come out and see what's going on for yourself.
Get Up, Stand Up! Come out.
Paradise Gray
http://www.myspace.com/Paradisegray
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Comment #10
(Posted by Paradise Gray)
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Go to <a href=http://www.uwebtv.com/uwebtv.html>UWebTV</a>
Click on shows, then scroll down to: Childs Life threatened by Police and click on photo to watch.
Hear the story of how Pittsburgh Police officer Eric Tatusko pulled a gun on her and a car full of children during a traffic stop (from her own mouth).
Paradise Gray
http://www.myspace.com/paradisegray
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Comment #11
(Posted by Paradise Gray)
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Go to <a href=http://www.uwebtv.com/uwebtv.html>UWebTV</a>
Click on shows, then scroll down to: Childs Life threatened by Police and click on photo to watch.
Hear the story of how Pittsburgh Police officer Eric Tatusko pulled a gun on her and a car full of children during a traffic stop (from her own mouth).
Paradise Gray
http://www.myspace.com/paradisegray
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Comment #12
(Posted by Yulanda Moore)
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This story by Deborah Todd, is this true? I am a resident of Portland, Oregon and can't really believe that this could be a true story. I am so tired of African-Americans not coming together to make life better for ourselves and our children that this sends me into a place that I don't even want to think about. Our organization a 501 (c) (3) is Americans United for the Success of African Americans, Inc., (http://www.ausaa.org). I want to know if this is true? What is happening in connection with this? What is happening with the officer and what is the community at large doing about it?
Mrs. Moore
Founder/President
503 481 6777
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Comment #13
(Posted by Sis. GeAnita X)
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It is unfortunate that we still feel that we live in a society that has our best interest at heart. We feel that this government is our way and salvation and it is not. We have been tricked into thinking that just because they have allowed us to be among them in their government or social settings that they have repented from their wicked ways. They have not asked our brothers in the east. This story and many others is clear proof that they have not repented from their ill treatment of their former slaves. Have we not learned from Katrina? Do we think that that was an isolated event? Whoa to those who lead the people astray! May God bless us with the light of understanding. Pray for Ms. Lawton, her innocent children and other mothers who are suffering at the hands of our open enemy. Peace, Love & Blessings to all!
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Comment #14
(Posted by Darnell Drewery)
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To the comments signed anonymous and frank, your ignorance and blinded eyes to racism and police brutality directed towards African-Americans causes me to think that you are no different than the ones who commit these ungodly acts. This story is very true and yes it is very much a "Black thing" you're correct in stating that we all need to take care of our women and children, I don't believe the writer of that comment was saying any different. But, as African-Americans speaking we must first recognize that we can only take care of ourselves first, before when include anyone because we see these horrible acts happening more in our community than any other community and no one response when it happens. You can not argue that if this happened to a white woman and her children that the coverage of this story would be different. So, the bottom line is in this particular case it is a Black thing. For, the people who think this story is fiction, maybe in your community it is, but for African-Americans it every bit of truth, on a daily basis. You can believe that! You might as well get with us, cause we won't stop until justice is served and we are treated like human beings. With respect!
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