Family Of Romir Talley, Who Was Shot and Killed by Police, Demands Homicide Charges And Disbandment Of Wilkinsburg Police Department

Written by @kristenshylin_

Romir Talley is another reminder of why the Black Lives Matter movement must continue. On Dec. 22, 2019, the 24-year-old was shot and killed in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, by Wilkinsburg police.

According to BOSSIP, Talley was a victim of police brutality, which resulted from a case of” mistaken identity.” The officers said Talley fit the description of an armed man, they were searching for, who had allegedly pointed a gun at 911 caller.

The cops claim Talley ran into an alley when they asked him to stop. Somehow, bullets were fired at them during the chase, so they say. As a result, Talley was shot several times.

Although the shooting occurred last year, Wilkinsburg Council President Pamela Macklin recently identified Robert Gowans as the officer who shot Talley seven times.

Following the police-involved shooting, Gowans was supposedly placed on administrative leave, but an updated status of his employment remains unknown.

As it approaches nearly eight months since the victim’s death, no arrests, job terminations, or any form of justice has been made.

Attorney Paul Jubas joined the family and activists at the City-County Building on Monday, calling for the disbandment of the Wilkinsburg Police Department.

In addition to disbanding the department, the attorney demanded the termination of Gowans’ job; District Attorney Stephen Zappala, to charge Gowans for Homicide; and a transparent trial.

Jubas also questioned Gowans’ story about the incident, implying that it does not add up. He did not further explain but revealed that a witness came forward, denying the officer’s statement that Talley fired shots first.

“The new evidence is that there is a witness that contradicts the story told by officer Robert Gowans,” Jubas said. “At this point, officer Gowans was the only testimony, only evidence with regards to what happened that night.”

The lawyer also condemned the department for not having body cameras or dash cameras.

In response, Council President Macklin assured the department is seeking “funding for body camera data storage,” CBS Pittsburg reported.

A spokesman for District Attorney Zappala’s office released a statement, doubting the new informant.

“It’s extremely troubling that someone purporting to be a witness to the taking of a human life would wait more than 200 days before bringing their information forward.”

Although the Allegheny County Police Department is currently investigating Talley’s death, the county’s police superintendent, Coleman McDonough said he does not anticipate criminal charges being pressed against the officer.