Redstone officer, who is involved in fatal shootout

The Redstone Township Policeman, who was involved in the fatal shootout of the last month, was put on the administrative leave. The municipality has announced the open records, but no further details were published in its answer.

At the beginning of this month, the Herald standard asked the notes by the law of the state to be known to the well-known law for paid or unpaid vacation for civil servants in the police department of the municipality and the list of civil servants. The application was made after the incident of January 28, in which the police were sent to the 132 Lyndale Road in Grindstone to carry out a wellness check for 27-year-old Christopher Hackney, who was fatally shot by an answering officer. No further details were published.

On Thursday, Redstone Township Supervisor and the RTK officer George Matis confirmed that an officer was transferred to the administrative holiday in connection with the shootout.

“At this point, we have an administrative holiday officer,” says the answer given by e -mail. “His content is $ 46,841.60. He has been employed by the Redstone Township police department since April 1, 2017. His name will not be published at this point in accordance with RTK 708 (B) (16) and 708 (B) (17). There is no employment contract. Please consider this RTK completed. ”

Other questions submitted as part of the request, including the name of the official, were unanswered and essentially refused. The Herald standard is considering inserting this part of the Open Record office.

Melissa Melewsky, lawyer of the media lawyer of the Pennsylvania Newsmedia Association, said that there are provisions that enable the agencies to hold back information during the examination, but the decision of the community not revealing the names of the civil servant is reason for an appointment.

“I don't think (the two provisions they quoted) a basis for the name of a public employee,” she said. “The fact that there is an investigation does not change the fact that (the official) is a public employee. I don't think it offers a basis for the rejection of the name of the officer. ”

It is to prove the burden of the police authority that the exception applies and, given the statues cited, a reason for an appointment seems to be a practical option, she said.

Melesky also said that the municipality has the legal obligation to include additional information if it decides to reject an RTK request.

“If a rejection is issued, the RTK law requires that certain information are part of it. … you not only have to tell you the legal reason why you refuse you, but tell you how to submit an appointment, but also have to specify a time frame in which you can submit the complaint. You have to provide a number of different information, ”she said. “And it doesn't seem that they did that.”