Residents honor fallen Brackenridge police chief at procession

Tarentum-area residents stood in the pouring rain Tuesday to pay tribute to a local police chief who had been killed the day before.

Dozens of locals, from children to adults, lined the road near First United Presbyterian Church awaiting the procession of first responders honoring Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire. Some didn’t know the man. Others knew him for decades.

“I listened to this whole thing play out yesterday on the scanner,” said Jeanne McGinnis through tears. “From the minute the guy stole the car to when he crashed it on Cleveland Avenue. I listened to the whole thing all afternoon. It was frightening. Absolutely frightening.

“Just, holy crap, you don’t shoot a cop. This is just senseless, absolutely senseless. They’re not just the city police where you don’t know them. These are our friends and our neighbors. We know these guys. I’m Facebook friends with some of them. It’s crazy. It’s just crazy.”

McIntire was fatally shot Monday afternoon during a confrontation with suspect Aaron Lamont Swan Jr., 28, of Duquesne, following a two-day manhunt. Swan was fatally shot in Pittsburgh’s Homewood-Brushton neighborhood by police later that evening.

McIntire was 46. He was named chief in late 2018 after having served as officer-in-charge of the department when then-Chief Jamie Bock retired that June. He was sworn in as chief in January 2019.

Jessica Christy, who grew up as a neighbor of McIntire’s, said the incident was “crazy.”

“I grew up with (his family),” Christy said. “For years. Thirty-plus years. That’s why I came out. I knew the chief and his family when we were growing up, more so than now. I still knew them, still said ‘hi’ to them. He lived three houses down from my grandma. It was crazy hearing it on the scanner and just not believing that this could happen here.”

Others described the incident as “stupid.”

“We watched it unfold on the TV and on Facebook,” Christine Fitch said. “Because that doesn’t really happen around here. But we were sad. It was unnecessary and stupid.”

Thomas Wright, who lives by the police station, said he often would see McIntire while he was on duty.

“He was a good guy,” Wright said. “I wanted to pay a tribute. I’m retired, so I walk my dogs every day except for when it’s pouring rain like this. When he was on duty and cruised by, he was like, ‘Hey!’ He knew me as the guy with the big black dog and a little white dog. We had talked during different things around Brackenridge. He seemed like he was a guy who always wanted to resolve the problem rather than cause trouble.”

Some in attendance pulled over their cars when they realized the procession would be coming through the area.

“(I’m here) to show my respect,” Joe Bonazza said. “It looks like the procession is going to be coming by, so I took the time to pull over just to show my respect.”

On Monday, Tarentum police Officer Jordan Schrecengost also suffered a gunshot wound to the leg during the confrontation but was in stable condition, authorities said.

More on Brackenridge Chief Justin McIntire:

• Brackenridge Chief Justin McIntire recalled as 'humble, hard-working hometown son'
• Brackenridge police chief was 'ambushed' by his killer, investigators say
• Timeline: Police chief's murder was part of a dayslong manhunt
• Support services available to community, Highlands students
• Photo gallery: Paying tribute to slain Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire
• Father hailed as hero after scuffle with man who killed Brackenridge chief
• Brackenridge police chief's wife: 'I'm literally broken'
• Brackenridge police chief fatally shot, Tarentum officer injured after pursuit