Jury selection is scheduled to start in the trial of a former East Pittsburgh police officer charged in the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Antwon Rose II, 17, last June.
Allegheny County, Penn., police said that the car in which Rose was a passenger was suspected to have been involved in a nearby shooting. Rose and another passenger fled from the vehicle, prompting Michael Rosfeld to open fire, police said. Rose was shot in the face, elbow and to the right of his spine, according to CNN.
—Ohio police officer indicted for forcing sexual favors from women—
The case sparked widespread emotion throughout the area and motivated demonstrators to shut down highways as they demanded justice for Rose, whose family and friends described as smart and giving, and as someone who volunteered regularly.
Rosfeld faces a charge of criminal homicide and the trial is expected to start March 19, CNN has reported.
A judge ruled that publicity surrounding the case could affect the potential jury pool in the area, and prospective jurors are being brought in from Dauphin County, Penn., 200 miles from Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Safety on Tuesday was communicating with local businesses in preparation for potential unrest related to the upcoming trial, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
The case gained attention after a bystander to the shooting shared video.
In an email to businesses, one city official referred to the trial as “the March event,” according to the Post-Gazette.
“We will provide you with an event overview and current planning efforts in order for you to better plan your operations,” the news organization reported that Adam Ameel, critical infrastructure manager for Pittsburgh, wrote in a March 5 email to businesses.
After multiple protests last summer shut down networks of streets in the Pittsburgh area, city officials pushed new rules that bar the blocking of certain intersections, such as those leading to hospitals, tunnels or bridges.
