On the evening of May 6, 2008, 19-year-old Justin J. Jackson was shot and killed on a street in Mount Oliver, a borough of Pittsburgh. Police officers Christian Sciulli and Justin Simoni had responded to reports of shots fired and, according to their account, encountered Jackson and suspected he was carrying a concealed weapon. Officers say Jackson eventually showed his hands while holding a .357-caliber Magnum; Officer Sciulli then released a K-9 partner, a German shepherd named Aulf, to subdue him.

The police account states Jackson fired his weapon, killing Aulf, and both officers then fired back, striking Jackson in the head and chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene; the handgun was later reported stolen in 2006. Jackson’s family acknowledged his past juvenile offenses for assault and robbery but questioned the officers’ use of deadly force and suggested anger over the K-9’s death may have been a factor. Some witnesses reportedly offered versions that differed from the official account.

The Allegheny County District Attorney’s office investigated and in January 2009 announced no criminal charges would be filed against Officers Sciulli and Simoni, concluding their actions were an appropriate use of force after Jackson allegedly refused commands and shot the police dog. The officers, previously on administrative leave, were cleared to return to duty. Are there readers who witnessed the incident or have information that could clarify what happened that night?