Unrelated lawsuit dismissed against Michael Rosfeld, cop charged in Antwon Rose shooting

The plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit alleging misconduct by Michael Rosfeld during his time as a University of Pittsburgh police officer dropped their case Thursday, court records show.

Jacob Schilling and Timothy Riley filed the lawsuit in July, two weeks after Rosfeld – then an East Pittsburgh police officer – shot and killed unarmed teenager Antwon Rose II.

The lawsuit claimed that Rosfeld falsely arrested the pair outside Oakland’s Garage Door Saloon in December 2017. Riley, Schilling and two others were asked to leave the bar – without reason, according to the lawsuit – and were allegedly accosted and arrested by Rosfeld.

The bar owner, its parent company and the University of Pittsburgh were also named in the lawsuit, which was filed in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and later transferred to federal court. The university was dropped from the lawsuit earlier this year.

The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refilled, court records show.

Attorneys from Robert Peirce and Associates, which represented Schilling and Riley, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Rosfeld is charged with homicide in the June 19 shooting of Rose as he ran from a felony traffic stop in East Pittsburgh. A jury trial is scheduled for February. Rose’s family has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Rosfeld, East Pittsburgh’s mayor and council, and its former police Chief Lori Fruncek.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@tribweb.com or via Twitter @meganguzaTrib.