Pittsburgh Rises Up in Protest of Antwon Rose Police Killing

FEATURING JASIRI X – A police officer in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last week fatally shot a 17-year old African American boy named Antwon Rose Jr. who was unarmed and apparently running away at the time of the shooting. Police apprehended the vehicle he was in during a search for suspects in another shooting. Rose was a high-school student in the Woodland Hills School district in East Pittsburgh. The officer involved has been identified as 30-year old Michael Rosfield who has been placed on leave pending investigation.

A woman who videotaped the incident described the officer’s actions to reporters saying, “It was like he was taking target practice on this young man’s back. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t say ‘Stop running.’ He didn’t say anything.”

Over the weekend Pittsburgh residents organized mass protests against Rose’s killing. Rose’s funeral was held on Monday at the Woodland Hills Intermediate School in the same school district that he attended as a student.

Jasiri X, news correspondent for Rising Up With Sonali. He’s a well-known hip hop artist and civil rights activist who has been active in the protests over Antwon Rose Jr.’s killing and attended his funeral on Monday.