Mayor Peduto decries tactics used by Pittsburgh police during protest - TribLIVE

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The arrest tactics used when a protester was whisked into an unmarked van Saturday in Oakland won’t be used again in Pittsburgh, Mayor Bill Peduto said Monday.

“It is hard to find the words for how livid I was after seeing the online videos of the disturbing arrest at Saturday’s protest,” Peduto said in a statement. “I have taken the time to review all the video and information that has been made available to me. As Mayor, I will never tolerate these tactics being used at peaceful protests again.”

Matthew Cartier, 24, was arrested during the protest because police allege he was blocking an intersection unnecessarily, stepping in front of cars and attempting to direct traffic, Pittsburgh police Cmdr. Ed Trapp said.

Social media video showed officers who weren’t in uniform emerge from an unmarked van and pull Cartier inside.

Reaction to the video was swift. Police officials on Sunday defended the arrest and said the tactic was used to avoid creating a larger confrontation during the protest.

Peduto’s initial responses on Twitter to the arrest drew ire from the American Civil Liberties Union.

“Just a quick reminder of Constitutional rights,” Peduto tweeted late Saturday. “They have restrictions. The right to assemble is a guaranteed right, the right to shut down public streets, is a privilege. That privilege is sanctioned by laws and codes.”

He noted those laws and codes were created in conjunction with the ACLU and the Citizen Police Review Board. The ACLU shot back: “Just a quick reminder: Abducting protesters off the street, as officers did yesterday in your city, isn’t just flat-out wrong — it’s a violation of your own policies.”

Peduto noted in a series of Tweets that he wanted to wait until he had more information from police “before making any decisions.”

He strengthened his message at a press conference the following day.

“I have serious concerns over the tactics that were utilized yesterday,” he said. “I let my (public safety) leadership know those concerns this afternoon.”

He said he wasn’t yet ready to make any decisions on the future use of pop-out arrest tactics but said they warrant further examination, especially as to whether they’re appropriate in the context of a protest.

City council members are asking for a briefing from Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich. Council members Monday said they plan to review police policies so something like this doesn’t happen again.

“While I realize tensions on all sides are running extremely high, I believe the best approach is a measured one that yields results,” council President Theresa Kail-Smith said.

The city’s Citizen Police Review Board is also reviewing what happened, executive director Elizabeth Pittinger said.

Cartier faces charges of disorderly conduct, failure to disperse and obstructing the roadway, according to online court records.

Tom Davidson and Megan Guza are Tribune-Review staff writers. You can contact Tom at 724-226-4715, tdavidson@triblive.com or via Twitter @TribDavidson. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@triblive.com or via Twitter @meganguzaTrib