Attorney: Family calling for review of violent incident involving local police officers, teen girl on school bus

WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. — The family of a 15-year-old girl seen in cellphone video being detained by police on a school bus in West Mifflin wants those officers to be held accountable for their actions.

According to an attorney representing the girl’s family, two officers assaulted and hurt the teen during an incident in December. Now, they are calling for the district attorney to review the video and determine whether charges should be filed against the officers.

Last month, Channel 11′s Michele Newell spoke with the teen’s family after it happened.

Brianna Gaines said her sister got into a fight on the bus. When police showed up, a number of cellphone cameras started recording, capturing officers trying to detain her sister. Shersse Gaines said her daughter pushed away from the officer after the officer shoved her while she tried to walk off the bus.

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Brianna said the officer banged her head against the bus window and tried to put her in handcuffs.

Weeks later, the family released their wish for the DA’s office to look into this incident.

The solicitor for West Mifflin told Channel 11 that: “The juvenile was charged with a crime, so it would be really reckless to comment at this point. But I could tell you that the West Mifflin Police Borough officers acted properly at all times.”

Below is the full statement issued by the family’s attorney:

"This office has been retained by the family of a juvenile female for representation throughout her legal ordeal which arose after she was assaulted and injured on a school bus by two West Mifflin Police Officers. The entirety of this incident was caught on cell phone video.

We are fully investigating the events leading to and including this incident, as well as the events immediately following the incident. In order to protect my juvenile client’s legal rights, we cannot provide specific details of the investigation at present because of pending legal proceedings. We will make the results of our investigation into this matter public at the appropriate time.

This office has provided eyewitness videos of the incident to the District Attorney of Allegheny County. We ask the District Attorney to review the eyewitness videos to determine whether one or both of the West Mifflin Police Officers should be criminally charged."

—  Attorney Paul Jubas

Watch the video of the school bus incident below:

Video shows incident involving police, teen girl on school bus Video shows incident involving police, teen girl on school bus

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