JIM ROGERS, SHOWN IN THIS NEWLY-RELEASED POLICE BODY CAM VIDEO. IT WAS RELEASED ON JAN. 29.
Video shows stun gun used on Rogers multiple times by Pittsburgh Police, and then, no assistance given to Rogers
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey has responded to the 52-minute video collection that was released on Monday, Jan. 29, that shows in detail the interactions between Pittsburgh Police and Jim Rogers, the 54-year-old Black man who died one day after being arrested by Pittsburgh Police in 2021.
While the public had seen small snippets of an interaction between police officers and Rogers, Jan. 29 was the first time that the public saw Officer Keith Edmonds, who is also Black, arrive at the scene where Rogers was alleged to have stolen a bike on Harriet Street in Bloomfield.
At first, Rogers speaks with Edmonds, but as the interaction continues, Edmonds threatens to use a Taser on Rogers. Eventually, Edmonds does use the Taser on Rogers, while he’s on the ground and after Rogers gets back up.
The public also witnessed that none of the other officers who arrived on scene seemed to provide Rogers with any sort of medical assistance, even while Rogers was saying that he “couldn’t breathe” while in the back of a police cruiser. Rogers was later transported to UPMC Mercy hospital, miles away from Bloomfield, when he could have been transported to the nearest hospital, West Penn Hospital, a mere two blocks away.
Overall, Rogers was left in the police cruiser for 17 minutes before police drove him to UPMC Mercy. Rogers was unresponsive by the time he made it to the hospital.
“Jimmy, Jim. Hey. Jim. Jim. Jim. Jimmy. Come on, bud. Come on. Come on, Jim? Jim. Come on, bud, wake up. I don’t know if he’s breathing, bro. Grab the medics,” one officer is overheard saying outside the hospital.
TODD HOLLIS
“The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police acknowledges that Mr. Todd Hollis, attorney for the family of Jim Rogers, has chosen to publicly release the body worn and dash camera footage of the Pittsburgh Police interaction with Jim Rogers on October 13, 2021, after the federal judge in the civil case granted permission for its release and dissemination,” Mayor Gainey’s statement began, released on Tuesday, Jan. 30. “Police are aware that content of the video will be disturbing for many to watch and that people will want to know what we are doing to ensure that individuals in police custody are treated with care and respect. In addition to the thorough critical incident review and disciplinary action recommended for the involved officers following the death of Mr. Rogers, Pittsburgh Police have since made several policy and procedural improvements. These include: Assigning an officer with the specific task of monitoring prisoners during transfer to the nearest hospital with an emergency room; Summoning EMS to respond every time a Taser is deployed, with medics evaluating the individual on scene; Retraining all police personnel on how to avoid single officer tactics; Training all officers on the ‘duty to intervene’; and reviewing all body worn camera after every use of force.”
MAYOR ED GAINEY
Mayor Gainey continued: “Pittsburgh Police would again like to take this opportunity to express their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Jim Rogers and to reassure the public that the Bureau and its officers are fully committed to ensuring that all individuals in Pittsburgh Police custody are afforded the highest standard of care.”
The mayor ended his statement by saying that the City of Pittsburgh is prohibited from releasing investigative information due to the Criminal History Record and Information Act, and that the decision on “whether or not to release body camera video to the public does not fall under the city’s authority.”
In March 2022, the mayor announced the city had fired or disciplined at least eight officers in connection to the Rogers incident. However, Edmonds, who used his Taser on Rogers, has appealed the decision to terminate him, and some of the other officers involved have already returned to the force or have retired.
In October 2022, a grand jury decided not to bring criminal charges against any of the officers involved.
In a statement on Hollis’ website, he said that “in releasing this footage, we aim to provide public access to critical information and foster a transparent legal process. Our goal is to uphold the principles of justice and integrity in the legal system, ensuring that all relevant information is available for public view and understanding.”
The City of Pittsburgh announced in April 2023 that it had settled a wrongful death civil lawsuit with the brother of Rogers, who was represented by Hollis, for $8 million.
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