PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh city officials have determined that a police officer did not use excessive force when he punched a woman at a gay pride event in June.
City Solicitor Lourdes Sanchez-Ridge made the announcement Friday afternoon.
The officer, Souroth Chatterji, said he was trying to break up a fight when he grabbed the woman by the head and punched her in the side so he could handcuff her. The officer says the woman, Ariel Lawther of Harmony, fought with him and kicked him in the groin. She was charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest.
A press release says the officer is back on duty.
The Delta Foundation, a local group that advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals, had asked police to investigate the officer’s actions after a friend of Lawther’s posted video of the encounter.
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