Pittsburgh’s police chief has ordered a review of footage recorded by officers’ body and dashboard cameras during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest outside a city police station last week.
Pittsburgh police did not intervene in the incident, which took place last Thursday near the Zone 3 station on East Warrington Avenue in the Allentown neighborhood.
“I was recently made aware of an incident that occurred in front of Zone 3 police station where ICE agents were struggling to take someone into custody,” Chief Jason Lando said in a written statement.
“I had the chance to speak with the ICE supervisor and learned that this incident had nothing to do with Zone 3 itself. Rather, it just so happened that agents stopped the vehicle in question at the gas station across the street.”
Lando said there had been allegations that police were “ordered not to intervene and were forced to stand by and watch.”
He said he was not aware of any order prohibiting them from getting involved.
The chief has asked the zone commander to conduct what it called an administrative review “to ensure I have all of the relevant information.”
Cara Cruz, a police spokeswoman, said that would include reviewing body-worn and dashboard camera footage of the incident and speaking with officers who saw it.
Lando — along with Public Safety Director Sheldon Williams and Mayor Corey O’Connor — has repeatedly said the city will not cooperate with ICE. Allegheny County Council last week approved legislation banning county officials from cooperating with federal immigration officials.
“The role of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is to enforce local and state laws, and I am proud of how our officers do that job every day,” Lando said. “Our job is not, and has never been, to conduct immigration enforcement.”
Lando said he never asked someone their immigration status during his 26-year career.
The chief said city police are not briefed on ICE operations in advance and “often have no idea” when the federal immigration agency is operating throughout the city.
“However, as law enforcement, we have a duty and an obligation to respond to ANY emergency situation when requested,” he said. “This includes emergency calls for assistance from other law enforcement agencies. When we receive a call for help, we do not ask WHO needs help.”
A spokesperson for ICE did not immediately respond to an inquiry from TribLive Wednesday.
Pittsburgh police were called to the scene of an ICE arrest in Mt. Washington after a bystander called 911 in December. They did not seem to intervene in that incident either.
