Medical Examiner Weighs In on Unarmed Teen Shot by Cop

Antwon Rose's death has been ruled a homicide
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 22, 2018 9:31 AM CDT
Medical Examiner Weighs In on Unarmed Teen Shot by Cop
Protestors rally in front of the Allegheny County Courthouse on Thursday, June 21, 2018, in Pittsburgh. They are protesting the killing of Antwon Rose Jr. who was fatally shot by a police officer seconds after he fled a traffic stop late Tuesday, in the suburb of East Pittsburgh.   (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

More details are emerging about the death of 17-year-old Antwon Rose, and none of them good. The unarmed Pennsylvania teen was shot dead in East Pittsburgh on Tuesday after he fled a car that had been pulled over in a traffic stop. ABC News reports his death has been ruled a homicide by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner, who said Rose was hit in the upper body. The officer who shot Rose has been identified as Michael Rosfeld; as previously reported, the 30-year-old had been sworn into the force just hours before the shooting. He had been working part-time for the East Pittsburgh Police Department for the prior three weeks; his five-year job with the University of Pittsburgh Police Department ended in January.

WTAE says it spoke with Rosfeld, and while it doesn't quote him, it does offer this: "Rosfeld said he and his family are trying to deal with what happened. He said this is a difficult time for them and said he wasn't ready to talk about what happened in the moments before he fired his gun or why he did it. He said he's gotten a lot of support from law enforcement, but has stayed away from all of the media coverage." A lawyer for Rose's family calls the teen "beautiful, kind" and "not someone who was in trouble ever." The Washington Post offers an anecdote that speaks to his character, recounting how a 14-year-old Rose emailed the head of a local charity asking if he could volunteer. "He was ... smart, vibrant ... a caring person, and everyone loved him," she says. Rose's funeral will be held Monday. (More police shooting stories.)

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