Pitt police use Taser on woman

Pitt police deployed a Taser on a woman who fled from UPMC Presbyterian Monday morning.

A video aired on WTAE shows the woman wearing a hospital gown walking along Forbes Avenue in the direction of traffic on the road. Pitt police shouted at her to stop moving, but she continued to walk. A University police officer then deployed a Taser and she fell to the ground.

This appears to be the first time Pitt police used a Taser since the department equipped officers with them in November. Pitt police were also recently equipped with body cameras.

Courtesy of @BeauWTAE

In the video, witnesses disagree about whether the use of the Taser was justified. University spokesperson Joe Miksch said Pitt police are reviewing the use of the Taser.

What the video of the incident does not show, Miksch said, is that moments before the footage was taken, the woman was running against traffic on Forbes Avenue, “endangering her life as well as others’.”

“University police were concerned for the well-being of this woman and for others,” Miksch said. “University police are reviewing the situation, as is routine.”