Updated at 12:33 a.m.
More than 200 demonstrators marched through the South Side on Saturday, marking the fourth consecutive night of protests following the death of 17-year-old Antwon Rose Jr. at the hands of suburban police.
— Kathleen J Davis (@katjacqueline) June 24, 2018
WESA reporters Kathleen Davis and Chris Potter followed the protest, which proceeded down East Carson Street, through the heart of one of the city's largest entertainment districts. Among those heading up the march was Leon Ford, who was partially paralyzed after being shot by a Pittsburgh police officer in a 2012 incident.
As with earlier demonstrations, the marchers disrupted traffic, with police closing intersections as they passed. After pausing for a moment of silence before the 10th Street Bridge, riot police asked protestors to take the sidewalk. Then confronted with a downpour, the marchers kept moving, shouting "We won't stop for no rain!"
Many other chants were familiar, with call-and-responses that insisted Rose not be forgotten.
"How old was he? Seventeen! What was his name? Antwon Rose Jr."
About 100 protestors right now. “How old was he? 17!” pic.twitter.com/zx14cwCUXM
— Kathleen J Davis (@katjacqueline) June 24, 2018
After nearly three hours, police stopped protestors as they moved toward the Birmingham Bridge and told them they had five minutes to disperse. Relunctantly, marchers began to melt away, leaving only officers in the street.
Rose was shot three times by East Pittsburgh borough police officer Michael Rosfeld. Rose was fleeing a vehicle that police had pulled over, suspecting it of having been involved in an earlier shooting. Rose was unarmed when Rosfeld shot him, though officials say he had a clip in his pocket and two guns were found in the vehicle. The case has become a lightning rod of controversy, in part because of concerns that law enforcement, including District Attorney Stephen Zappala, passes over police misconduct.
Saturday night's demonstration followed a previously scheduled Juneteenth parade from Freedom Corner in the Hill District to Point State Park. While the event commemorated the end of slavery, Rose's shooting was a focus.
A demonstration Friday night ranged from Downtown to the North Side, and ended outside another entertainment venue, PNC Park, where some drivers and Pirates fans reacted angrily to the protests. On Thursday night, protesters effectively shut down the Parkway East for over five hours.
Allegheny County Police are investigating the shooting. Rose's funeral takes place Monday.
