Next court date set for East Pittsburgh cop charged in death of Antwon Rose II
Carmen Ashley, great-aunt of Antwon Rose II, speaks about Officer Michael Rosfeld
The East Pittsburgh police officer charged with homicide in the shooting death of 17-year-old Antwon Rose II waived his right to a formal arraignment Wednesday and will next appear in court in September.
Attorneys for Michael Rosfeld scheduled a pre-trial conference in front of Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Anthony Mariani for Sept. 11.
Rosfeld, 30, was charged June 27, the week after he fired three shots at 17-year-old Rose as he ran from a traffic stop in East Pittsburgh.
Rose’s great-aunt, Carmen Ashley, waited outside during the brief proceedings Wednesday, which consisted largely of paperwork. Neither Rosfeld nor his attorney, Pat Thomassey, attended.
“Whatever they have, wherever they have it, I will be there,” Ashley said.
Rose, who was unarmed, was a passenger in a Chevy Cruze suspected to be involved in a drive-by shooting minutes earlier in nearby North Braddock. Police say the car had gunshot damage to the rear window, likely from the earlier shooting. As Rosfeld ordered the driver, a jitney driver, to the ground, Rose and backseat passenger Zaijuan Hester ran from the scene, authorities said.
Witnesses and District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. contend that Rose got out of the passenger seat , briefly showed his hands and then turn and ran. He was unarmed.
Rosfeld shot Rose three times, the last being the fatal shot, officials said. Rosfeld remains free on electronic monitoring after posting $250,000 unsecured bond in the hours after his arrest.
“I still feel as though his bond should have been revoked,” Ashley said. “He’s at home. He’s able to watch TV. He’s able to eat a decent meal. Antwon can’t do that no more. It’s a slap in the family’s face.
“He doesn’t need an ankle bracelet, he needs a jail cell,” she said.
The Rose family filed a wrongful death lawsuit earlier this month contending that Rosfeld used excessive and deadly force against the teenager when he should have waited for backup. It also names the police chief and mayor for allegedly not properly screening job candidates and not having proper police procedures in place.
Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@tribweb.com or via Twitter @meganguzaTrib.
