The use of deadly force by law enforcement during a raid in February has been deemed justified by the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office, as announced by DA Nicole Ziccarelli. In a case involving 52-year-old Lyle Cessna, officers from the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force acted within the boundaries of the law when Cessna pointed a gun at police after efforts to subdue him had failed on McKinley Avenue.
According to CBS News Pittsburgh, the incident occurred as officers attempted to serve an arrest warrant on February 14. Task Force members ordered Cessna to the ground when leaving the apartment, at which point he presented a handgun, placing it to his head. A release from Ziccarelli's office stated, "In Pennsylvania, the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer is governed by Section 508 of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code. A law enforcement officer is 'justified in using deadly force only when he believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury to himself or such other person."
Efforts to subdue Cessna included the use of a "less-than lethal projectile," as reported by WTAE, which struck Cessna in the abdomen but were unsuccessful. Subsequently, Cessna attempted to shoot himself. However, the gun malfunctioned. Upon pointing the firearm at police, Cessna was then shot by officers on the scene and taken to the hospital, succumbing to his injuries on March 5.
Details from TribLive highlight that the task force consisted of a mix of federal agents and state police and confirm that the DA’s investigation concurred with the use of deadly force, stating it was reasonable "due to the immediate threat of serious bodily injury and/or death to the officers if deadly force was not used." Cessna, who was facing a second-degree felony incest charge, was critically wounded for over two weeks before his death at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital.
