Recent Police Murder Spree Raises Questions about the Death Penalty

Pittsburgh (PTTP) – Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro has vocalized his disdain for the use of the death penalty. Shapiro has said that he will not issue any death penalties during his term and encourages the general assembly to join almost half of the United States in abolishing the punishment’s legality. While death penalties are currently legal in Pennsylvania, an execution has not been carried out since 1999. Though many people have been put on death row since, only three have been executed since 1976. However, recent fatal shootings of police officers at Temple University and in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area have drawn calls from some for the execution of the perpetrators.

The shooting at Temple University happened on Saturday, February 20th, and claimed the life of officer Chris Fitzgerald. One of the Pittsburgh area shootings occurred in McKeesport on February 6th and killed officer Sean Sluganski. Another took place in Brackenridge that resulted in the murder of Chief Justin McIntire. These officers were highly respected in their communities and their deaths have provoked questions about instituting death penalty executions on the respective cops’ murderers.

The murder suspect of John Sluganski, Jonathan Morris, is scheduled for a formal arraignment in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on March 21st. In this specific case, the District Attorney’s office would have to decide by then whether or not they wish to seek the death penalty.

Pitt to the Point’s political reporter, Alexandra Ross, had a chance to interview the University of Pittsburgh’s chief of police, James K. Loftus, for his thoughts on these recent murders.