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Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey and, Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt, and Police Chief Larry Scirotto returned Thursday to the scene of the deadly standoff in the city’s Garfield neighborhood Wednesday morning.
They met with neighbors who are now left with the trauma of the more than 6-hour standoff, as well as significant damage to their properties.
Chief Scirotto was leading command while thousands of rounds were fired between police and William Hardison. No law enforcement officers or neighbors in the area were hit, but homes were significantly damaged.
“At one point I went in my pantry in the kitchen and just barricaded myself there, just to try to shield myself and protect myself from all the bullets,” neighbor, Leslie Thompson said.
SWAT officers arrived at her back door to escort her safely out of her home, which was directly in the line of fire of Hardison.
Hardison was barricaded inside the home he had just been evicted from, repeatedly firing.
Police said the standoff involved 75 officers from Pittsburgh Police, Allegheny County Police, and the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office all firing their weapons.
“Everyone wants a peaceful street. Everyone wants life to turn back to the way it was before yesterday.” Mayor Ed Gainey said. “I offered my condolences and let them know it was tragic, and we wish it didn’t end that way.”
Some community members expressed their frustration with how the standoff ended.
“I don’t think it should have went this way. I think he should’ve had his day in court, and he should’ve been extracted from the house alive,” Chief Ikhana said.
Chief Scirotto addressed the use of force at a community meeting later that night.
“No one welcomes. No one relishes it. It is a traumatic event for our officers as it is for our community. Unfortunately, at times it is a necessity, based on the behavior and actions of others,” Scirotto said.
He added that during the hours of gunfire, Hardison was firing in the direction of people.
He said negotiators spent more than 5 hours attempting to negotiate with Hardison and sharing messages from his family over a PA system, hoping to lead to a peaceful surrender.
“We have an obligation to keep our entire community safe,” Scirotto said.
Chief Scirotto once the investigation is complete, the department’s Critical Incident Review Board will do its own review to determine if officers acted within policy or if they could have done things differently to avoid Hardison losing his life.
When asked if that review will be released to the public, Scirotto said he’s not opposed to that, however, he couldn’t give a certain answer Thursday night.
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