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Pittsburgh police officers did not intervene as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents struggled to detain a suspect near a police station, as claims circulated that officers were told to stand down.
Pittsburgh Police Chief Jason Lando said he is not aware of any order directing officers not to act and has launched an administrative review into the incident.
“To that end, I was recently made aware of an incident that occurred in front of the Zone 3 police station where ICE agents were struggling to take someone into custody,” Lando said in a statement obtained by Digital.
KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh reported that the incident unfolded as ICE agents attempted to detain a suspect near the Zone 3 station, when the individual began fighting and kicking ICE agents.
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Radio host Colin Dunlap said a Pittsburgh police officer told him they had been instructed to stand down during the confrontation.
“It has been alleged by some individuals that Pittsburgh Police officers were ordered not to intervene and were forced to stand by and watch,” he continued. “While our officers did not intervene in this particular situation, I am not aware of any order given that forbid them from doing so.”
The incident occurred near the Zone 3 station, where ICE agents had stopped a vehicle at a nearby gas station and attempted to take a suspect into custody, according to Lando.
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A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer’s badge and gear. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
While officers did not intervene, Lando emphasized that Pittsburgh police do not enforce federal immigration law and are not involved in ICE operations.
“Our job is not, and has never been, to conduct immigration enforcement,” Lando said. “We do not collaborate with ICE. We do not check immigration status on calls for service. We do not participate in ‘roundups.’”
He added that officers are still required to respond to emergency calls for assistance, including from other law enforcement agencies, but are instructed to assist only in securing the scene before returning to service.
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Pittsburgh police chief Jason Lando orders review after officers did not intervene as ICE agents struggled with a suspect, amid claims of a stand-down order. (Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Facebook)
Lando said he has directed the Zone 3 commander to conduct a review to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor has said the city will continue its policy of not assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, according to CBS News Pittsburgh.
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O’Connor, a Democrat, made the comments in January in the wake of a fatal ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis, calling the incident a “tragedy” and emphasizing that Pittsburgh aims to remain a welcoming city for immigrants.
Digital has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.
