PITTSBURGH — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Philadelphia prosecutors’ attempts to challenge state law governing how and when police officers are permitted to use deadly force, the latest development in the case against a former cop charged with murder in a 2017 killing.
The high court not only decided against the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office in a 4-2 decision; Justice Kevin M. Dougherty, who wrote on behalf of the majority, also filed an unusual concurring opinion chastising the prosecutors for their handling of the case.
The murder trial for former Philadelphia police Officer Ryan Pownall, who was accused of shooting 30-year-old David Jones, who was fleeing from a traffic stop in North Philadelphia in June 2017, has been on hold since DA Larry Krasner’s office challenged the law before the trial was set to begin.
