A SCREENSHOT OF THE ARREST OF A 17-YEAR-OLD BLACK TEENAGER IN WILMERDING
Officer overheard saying, ‘I can bring more (officers) if you want’
The NAACP Pittsburgh Branch, Alliance for Police Accountability, 1 Hood Media, and the Black Political Empowerment Project collectively are raising questions about an arrest of a Black male teenager in Wilmerding from late December 2025. It’s unclear the exact date that the nighttime arrest took place. Various videos have surfaced on social media, most of which have been reviewed more than 50,000 times.
THE VIDEO IN QUESTION HAS DRAWN THE IRE OF NAACP PITTSBURGH BRANCH PRESIDENT JACKIE HILL, ABOVE CENTER, AND ALLIANCE FOR POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY CEO BRANDI FISHER, BELOW.
“The video is deeply concerning. It appears to show approximately thirteen Pitcairn police officers, along with the deployment of a police canine, involved in the arrest of a Black youth who appears to be of slight stature,” read the collective statement by the four organizations, Dec. 29.
Video footage that’s circulating shows a number of police officers assisting in arresting the Black male teenager, but the exact number of officers involved was unable to be substantiated by the New Pittsburgh Courier in its review of the footage.
The Courier has also learned that in addition to Pitcairn police, which also patrols for Wilmerding Borough, officers from Monroeville, Turtle Creek, North Versailles and East McKeesport also came to the scene of the arrest. Exactly how many officers from each department were on the scene is unknown.
“The scale and intensity of the police response raises questions regarding the necessity and proportionality of the response to this arrest,” the collective statement read.
Tim Stevens, the outgoing Chairman and continuing CEO of the Black Political Empowerment Project, sent the joint statement to the Courier on Monday afternoon, Dec. 29.
“Based on the footage, we are seeking clarification from the Pitcairn Police Department on the following issues: What was the legal basis for the initial stop of the youth? One officer appears to state that they had previously seen and interacted with the youth before this encounter; if so, what prompted the subsequent stop that led to the arrest? On what grounds was the youth detained? Was the individual stopped solely because they were believed to resemble another person of interest? If the youth was not the individual officers were attempting to locate, was the intended subject ever identified or apprehended? What was the justification for placing the youth on the ground during the encounter? Why were the two officers initially involved unable to secure the youth without the assistance of numerous additional officers? What circumstances led to multiple officers physically restraining the youth on the ground? It appears to be an officer pile-on on an individual of slight stature. Why was a police canine deployed when multiple officers already appeared to have physical control of the youth? The use of police dogs to attack or subdue people is an inhumane act and has, for decades, been a source of profound sensitivity for African Americans, due to their historical use in law enforcement encounters. What justification exists for the level of force used, including what appears in the video to be punches delivered by at least one officer?”
In the Courier’s review of one of the circulating videos, a few African American adults are on their porch recording the encounter, watching the arrest occur seemingly in disgust. One adult can be heard on the video stating that it shouldn’t have taken “17” officers to detain the Black male teen.
“Seventeen people for one little kid,” an adult male said.
A White male police officer who was being recorded responded: “I can bring more if you want,” which did not sit well with the Black adult male.
“I don’t give a f___ what you do, I’m on my porch, I do what I want. This is my porch,” the adult Black male responded.
“Taken in totality, the conduct depicted in these videos warrants immediate transparency,” the joint statement read. “We are formally requesting detailed information from the Pitcairn Police Department regarding the circumstances leading to this arrest, the decision-making surrounding the use of force and canine deployment, and the policies governing officers’ actions in encounters involving youth. We are also requesting confirmation of the current condition, health, and well-being of the youth in question.”
The joint statement continued: “Our organizations remain committed to ensuring that youth are treated with care, restraint, and respect, and that law enforcement actions, particularly those involving youth, are developmentally appropriate, necessary, and proportionate,” the collective statement read. “We will continue to monitor this matter closely and expect a prompt and thorough response from the Pitcairn Police Department by January 2, 2026.”