11 Investigates: Activists, media turned away from meeting posted to Pittsburgh City Council website

PITTSBURGH — 11 Investigates is digging into a Pittsburgh City Council briefing on two high-profile cases that was posted on their website, but activists and members of the media were turned away from.

The mayor’s office said it was a mistake and should not have been posted as a public meeting on the website.

They say it was an informal briefing that they occasionally hold with council members to discuss ongoing investigations.

Activists from the Thomas Merton Center and the Alliance for Police Accountability are hoping to learn more about the SWAT standoff in Garfield where Bill Hardison was shot and killed during a gun battle with police.

State police are still investigating that incident.

And the downtown arrest of Jashon Martin, where officers were caught on camera punching Martin.

The city has ruled that was a justifiable use of force, however, some activists continue to question the tactics.

“Lots of concerns. These are terrifying, brutal events, and our neighbors are still dealing with the impacts of that,” said Rachel Nunes, the executive director of the Thomas Merton Center. “I think it would have fostered a little bit more trust if these officials are interested in building trust with the communities, as they tell us.”

But they were not allowed in. And we weren’t either, as council members met behind closed doors with the police chief and public safety director.

“I think its a clerical error that it was listed publicly on the agenda,” said Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak.

Pawlak said the meeting shouldn’t have been posted on the council website, and that these types of briefings are routine and deal with potentially privileged and sensitive information.

“It’s something that councilmembers deserve and are entitled to understand, but it’s not something that we can share publicly because again it is investigative and sensitive in nature,” said Pawlak.

The deputy mayor says this does not violate the state’s open meetings law, because there were no deliberations or official actions.

City Council President Theresa Kail-Smith reached out to Channel 11 and said it was not a clerical error. She said briefings are routinely listed like that on the city council website.

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