The Pittsburgh cop wrongly acquitted by a kangaroo court, packed with officers and a friendly judge is facing new, more serious charges in the wake of a gruesome miscarriage of justice earlier this month.
Charges against Pittsburgh Sgt. Stephen Matakovich were refiled today, along with the felony charge of perjury for ejecting a man from Heinz Field in a video that has since gone viral and can be seen below.
The officer’s face was probably as red as that stadium’s namesake catsup when he found out that he’d have to go on trial again.
Matakovich is also facing two counts of official oppression, simple assault, unsworn falsification to authorities in addition to that felony perjury charge resulting from the officer writing an official report which is disproven by the video of the incident.
Early this month Sgt. Matakovich had assault charges dismissed without the judge seeing the video evidence in the case as PINAC News reported earlier this month:
Pittsburgh Cop Caught on Camera Beating Teen Acquitted After Judge Claims Teen Was Aggressor
Meanwhile, Sgt. Stephen Matakovich remains on paid suspension, according to the Pittsburgh Police Department.
Mayor Bill Peduto stated that he intends to end the practice of paying suspended officers overtime pay for non-essential positions, which brings into question the practice of paying officers who are accused of crimes at all.
But, in a sign of growing intolerance for dirty cops even in heavily pro-cop cities like Pittsburgh, Matakovich was also served with notice that he is facing termination in response to this incident.
Public outrage forced Allegheny County District Attorney to refile charges in the case, which only happened because of the video depicting victim Gabriel Despres being shoved, and then punched multiple times
After the brutal assault, Matakovich added insult to injury when he filed criminal charges against Despres for trespassing, public drunkenness and underage drinking at the WPIAL high school football championships.
Despres was outside of Heinz Field, the famed field where the Pittsburgh Steelers play, was ordered to leave the public area by security guards.
The guards were standing and chatting with Despres, when Sgt. Matakovich, who was also working security, off-duty and in plain clothes, approached the men.
Matalovich is seen in the video pointing away with is right hand then shoving Despres who had his hands by his side.
Once on the ground Matakovich can be seen punching Despres repeatedly, who was at a severe disadvantage and unable to defend himself from the powerful blows delivered by Sgt. Matakovich.
It’s unfair that taxpayers must now pay for a second trial, but at least it is a positive sign to see police being charged for lying in their official duties, when the evidence is clear and their report blames the victim of police brutality for their wounds.
The post VIDEO: Pittsburgh Cop Wrongly Cleared of Assault Now Facing New Felony Charges appeared first on PINAC News.