In November 2012, a traffic stop in Pittsburgh ended with a young father named Leon Ford shot by a police officer and left paralyzed from the waist down. As of August 2014, Ford is set to stand trial on charges connected to that night, and the case is drawing a lot of attention.
According to reports, Ford was pulled over on the night of November 11, 2012 and was reportedly mistaken for another man police were looking for. Police have said that Officer David Derbish entered the car, that a struggle followed, and that Derbish fired as Ford drove off. Authorities have said no weapons or drugs were found in the car.
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. has pursued charges against Ford. BET.com reported on a motion prosecutors filed on April 30, 2014, arguing that when officers are in an area with frequent firearm arrests and a history of residents reacting violently to police, there can be reasonable suspicion that a person is armed and dangerous. Ford’s attorney asked a judge to dismiss the charges, and that request was denied. His attorney also said prosecutors asked Twitter for records tied to Ford’s social media account.
Ford is due in court on September 2. Charges reported in the case include reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and endangering an officer. Prosecutors and police have defended how the stop was handled, while Ford’s supporters have questioned why an officer entered the car during what was described as a routine stop.
The case is one more part of the ongoing national conversation about policing and traffic stops. We will be watching to see how it plays out in court.
