Mayor Garrett also tells Courier Romir Talley family met with Allegheny County police department last week, and that the family “knows more” about the Talley case than she does at this point
Hear Mayor Garrett’s exclusive interview, in her own words, in the video below….The mayor addresses the allegations about her not being transparent at the beginning, and the gun situation at 06:30.
by Rob Taylor Jr., Courier Staff Writer
Was it a bird? Was it a plane?
Whatever it looked like on Facebook, television or other outlets, Wilkinsburg Mayor Marita Garrett, in an exclusive interview with the New Pittsburgh Courier, Thursday afternoon, July 2, emphatically denied she ever waved or pointed a gun at anyone as protesters descended upon her home on June 30.
“I was never waving a gun,” Mayor Garrett said. “I never waved a gun and I never pointed a gun at anyone. What happened was, protesters were at my house, I didn’t see any police, there were about, at that time, about 25-30 people already assembled, already screaming, already yelling obscenities, vulgar remarks, and so my mom goes out(side)…”
Protesters apparently had come to Mayor Garrett’s home in Wilkinsburg after a public meeting had been canceled earlier in the evening. Some people are angry at Mayor Garrett because they feel she is not being as transparent as she should pertaining to the late 2019 shooting death of 24-year-old Romir Talley, a Black man who was shot and killed by an unnamed Wilkinsburg police officer. The Wilkinsburg police department said Talley fired a weapon at the officers first, and one of their officers returned fire, striking and killing Talley. Talley, in fact, was shot seven times.
Mike Manko with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office told the Courier on July 2 the case is still under review.
“As a Black woman period, but especially as a Black woman, being a public figure, an elected official, I’ve been disrespected, I’ve felt unprotected for so long….and especially just increased when getting into office, how people approach me, how people will roll up on me, so yes, I do have a license to carry and I am ready to protect my home, myself and my family,” Garrett told the Courier. “So my mom had asked me, ‘Marita, do you have your gun?’ And I showed her my gun, and then I put it back in my pocket. So, again, it was never my intent for anyone to think I was waving or pointing it at them, because I wasn’t waving or pointing it at them. I showed my mom, put it back in my pocket, and that was it.”
But what about the Facebook photos circulating that show Mayor Garrett sitting in front of her home, with something in her hand, possibly waving it?
“I’m on my phone. You can’t text on a gun,” Mayor Garrett said. “I was texting on my phone. So, that’s where all of that is. But again, I’m ready to protect and defend myself, and as a Black woman, especially in this region, we have reports that show, Black women are not safe in the Pittsburgh region.”
Mayor Garrett continued: “I did not wave or point my gun at anyone.”
The mayor also told the Courier exclusively, Thursday afternoon, July 2, that she was informed that the family of Romir Talley met with the Allegheny County police department sometime last week. At this point, Mayor Garrett said, the family actually has more information about the open investigation into the shooting than she does, contrary to reports from those who feel that Mayor Garrett is hiding information.
“These calls for, ‘She’s covering up, she’s hiding this’ and all of that stuff, I have less information than the family at this point,” Mayor Garrett told the Courier. “I have done what I can do in my role as mayor…the information that they keep trying to seek from me, they (the family) have. I can’t provide anything else. I’ve tried to lay it out many times that when a murder happens or a homicide happens in Wilkinsburg, it automatically goes to the county police department. They are the ones who investigate our homicides.”
Mayor Garrett told the Courier she’s been wanting to meet with the immediate family of Talley since late December. She told the Courier she had met with community activists who thought they could get the mayor in touch with the Talley family, but it hasn’t occurred yet. Mayor Garrett told the Courier she wants to meet with Talley’s mother, Latasha Talley, as soon as possible.
“They can contact me through email, mgarrett@wilkinsburgpa.gov. The number is 412-287-2551.”
Prior to Mayor Garrett’s interview with the Courier on July 2, the mayor held a press conference in front of the Wilkinsburg Borough Building, Wednesday, July 1, to address the incident that occurred in front of her home on June 30.
But Rose Price, a local resident, appeared at the press conference, and inferred that the mayor is only speaking out about the Talley case because other local residents have “called her out” on it. Price also didn’t believe that Mayor Garrett had been trying to reach out to the Talley family, and that’s been over six months since the Dec. 22, 2019 shooting death of Talley.
“Why would you lie to the people, why lie to the newspaper and tell them, ‘I reached out to the family’ when you know you didn’t? That was a bald-faced lie,” Price said at the news conference. “Everybody keeps trying to stand back from Marita, but she’s the mayor. Just like (Bill) Peduto’s the mayor of Pittsburgh, why can’t she be accountable for what’s going on in her community? That’s all we’re saying.”
Rose Price, at the press conference in Wilkinsburg, July 1. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)
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