A Donora man who was punched and tased by a police officer during an August arrest is pushing back against the department's version of events, saying he was never resisting and that the encounter has left him afraid of the very officers he says are supposed to protect him. Shawn Bowman was sitting in a chair when the confrontation unfolded, and video of the incident has since circulated widely, prompting calls for an investigation.
According to CBS News Pittsburgh, the video shows Bowman sitting in a chair as an officer tries to handcuff him after being called to his home for a reported domestic disturbance. At some point Bowman moves his hand toward the officer's hands, and the officer responds by punching him twice in the face and deploying a Taser. The footage reviewed by the station has no audio, so the verbal exchange between the two men cannot be heard.
Bowman shared a photograph showing his bloodied face after the encounter and said he needed three stitches above his left eye. He also reported blood in his inner left ear and said he could not see immediately after the struggle. “The Donora Police Department is supposed to serve and protect,” Bowman said, adding that he was not fighting the officer or resisting arrest and that the officer used handcuffs and punched him in the face.
Conflicting Accounts of What Happened
The officer's criminal complaint tells a different story than Bowman's. Per CBS News Pittsburgh, the complaint states that after the Taser was used, the officer repeatedly ordered Bowman to get on the ground and put his hands behind his back before Bowman eventually complied. The officer alleged that Bowman pulled his hands away and refused commands to put them behind his back, and that he continued resisting even after being tased.
An affidavit cited by WTAE adds further detail: Bowman's sister had called police alleging he punched her in the face and warning that he might resist arrest. The affidavit also states that Bowman attempted to remove the Taser prongs but eventually complied, though that part of the encounter is not visible in the video the outlets reviewed. Bowman now faces charges of simple assault and resisting arrest, and he was released from jail last Thursday.
Bowman said the experience has changed how he feels about local law enforcement. “I no longer trust the Donora Police Department,” he said, adding that he no longer feels safe in his community and expects to be harassed whenever the officer sees him.
Department Response and Oversight
Donora Police Chief Mark Shemansky said his role is to ensure a completely impartial, rigorous investigation into the facts, and that final personnel decisions rest solely with the Donora Borough Council. The department is compiling evidence, body camera footage, and reports to present to the council, which will use that material to make an informed, legally sound decision regarding the officer's status. The department says it is taking administrative steps meant to ensure community safety and maintain departmental integrity while that review continues.
KDKA-TV contacted the Donora police chief to ask whether police were aware of the video; the station reported that the chief was not in and that it had not received a response by airtime. The Mon Valley Independent also reported that the arrest video has sparked an investigation locally.
Community Reaction and Calls for Context
The viral video has stirred concern among neighbors about police use of force and about Bowman's safety, according to WTAE's reporting. Frank Monaco, a former state police major and Plum chief of police, told the station that fully assessing the officer's actions would require more context, including audio, since the video circulating online does not capture what was said between Bowman and the officer.
Under Pennsylvania law, a person commits resisting arrest, a second-degree misdemeanor, when they intend to prevent a public servant from making a lawful arrest and either create a substantial risk of bodily injury or require substantial force to overcome their resistance, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The statute itself does not resolve whether Bowman's conduct met that standard — that determination remains part of the ongoing legal process.
Similar disputes over video evidence and use of force have played out elsewhere recently. In Santa Ana, California, a video showing officers pulling a man to the ground and punching him during an arrest prompted a use-of-force investigation, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. The man in that video was later told he would not face charges in connection with the arrest, the Los Angeles Times reported.
