Pittsburgh man accused of killing off-duty Oakdale officer ordered to stand trial

A Pittsburgh man accused of killing an off-duty Oakdale police officer following a road rage incident in July will stand trial.

Kevin McSwiggen, 40, appeared for a preliminary hearing Wednesday before Magistrate Judge Nick Martini. Following testimony, all charges were held for trial including charges of criminal homicide and two counts of reckless endangerment.

McSwiggen remains in custody at Allegheny County Jail.

Allegheny County Police said McSwiggen shot Charles G. “Chuckie” Stipetich, 23, in the 400 block of Fountain Street in Blawnox on July 3.

Officers were called around 10:35 p.m. after shots were fired. They found Stipetich in the road bleeding from a gunshot wound to his lower abdomen.

He died later at Allegheny General Hospital.

While at the scene, officers found McSwiggen sitting in his Ford pickup parked in the middle of the road. He had a gunshot wound to his left bicep and arm.

Police heard him say that he was involved in a road rage incident on Route 28, and that he was cut off. McSwiggen said he then followed the other driver and got into an altercation with him.

A camera mounted in McSwiggen’s truck showed him driving north on Freeport Road when a red Ford Taurus passes him on the left.

He honked his horn and then said, “’Aw (expletive) it. I’ll just put the high beams on, I don’t care,’” according to police.

McSwiggen then said, “’I’ll be more than happy to (expletive) around with you like this. Oh, I should just cut you up. Oh, I should just cut you,’” police said.

McSwiggen followed the Taurus onto Jackson Street and then Fountain Street and parked behind the car.

Stipetich can then be seen exiting his car and walking toward his house when McSwiggen approaches.

They argued, and Stipetich repeatedly told McSwiggen to leave, police said. Stipetich’s father then appeared in the video and placed himself between them. The men left the video frame, and a gunshot could be heard.

The video then shows Stipetich walk back into frame and lift up his shirt, apparently checking his wound.

Stipetich then pulled a gun from his waistband and shot McSwiggen.

Defense attorney Casey White argued on Wednesday that his client fired in self defense and Stipetich’s father, Charles P. Stipetich, lunged at him. It was that action, White said, that caused both McSwiggen and the victim to pull their weapons and shoot each other.