An intense pursuit through the streets of Pittsburgh culminated in the arrest of William Skinner, 36, who had been wanted in connection with a string of burglaries. The incident, which left a police officer injured after being struck by the suspect's car, occurred Tuesday in the city's Beltzhoover neighborhood. In a statement reported by WTAE, Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto described the altercation, explaining that the suspect "ran over the officer after being given multiple verbal commands to surrender" and used the vehicle as a weapon. The officer, whose name has not been disclosed, suffered leg and head injuries but is stable and expected to recover fully.
According to TribLIVE, the chase began after officers from the Zone 3 station tried to carry out an arrest warrant for Skinner, stemming from burglaries including one at the Grand Mart convenience store on Tuesday morning. The violence sparked when Skinner, in an attempt to avoid capture, hit the on-ground officer with his car—a Chevy Blazer that was also used in the earlier crime. The officer is now in stable condition at a local hospital.
Following the car's abandonment, Scirotto detailed Skinner's ongoing flight, where he attempted theft at the Red, White & Blue thrift store and then finagled a ride to the South Side from an unwitting driver. Skinner's pursuit ended when he was captured while walking along the railroad tracks under McCardle Roadway and Carson Street. Lloyd Wagner, an employee at the thrift store that became the site of the suspect's botched robbery, recounted to TribLIVE, a huge police presence in the area and the store's lockdown as police used their parking lot as a staging area.
The police chief confirmed that Allegheny County Police will handle charging Skinner, who was apprehended after a manhunt that lasted more than an hour, with charges expected to include aggravated assault and attempted homicide.
