Gunman 'lying in wait' kills 3 Pittsburgh officers

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Gunman 'lying in wait' kills 3 Pittsburgh officers

By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI and DAN NEPHIN – 1 hour ago

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A gunman wearing a bulletproof vest and "lying in
wait" opened fire on officers responding to a domestic disturbance
call Saturday, killing three of them and turning a quiet Pittsburgh
street into a battlefield, police said.

Police Chief Nate Harper said the motive for the shooting isn't clear,
but friends said the gunman recently had been upset about losing his
job and feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns.

Richard Poplawski, 23, met officers at the doorway and shot two of
them in the head immediately, Harper said. An officer who tried to
help the two also was killed.

Poplawski, armed with an assault rifle and two other guns, then held
police at bay for four hours as the fallen officers were left bleeding
nearby, their colleagues unable to reach them, according to police and
witnesses. More than 100 rounds were fired by the SWAT teams and
Poplawski, Harper said.

The three slain officers were Eric Kelly, Stephen Mayhle and Paul
Sciullo III. Kelly had been on the force for 14 years, Mayhle and
Sciullo for two years each. Another officer, Timothy McManaway, was
shot in the hand and a fifth broke his leg on a fence.

Poplawski had gunshot wounds in his legs but was otherwise unharmed
because he was wearing a bulletproof vest, Harper said. He was charged
with three counts of homicide, aggravated assault and a weapons
violation.

The shooting occurred just two weeks after four police officers were
fatally shot in Oakland, Calif., in the deadliest day for U.S. law
enforcement since Sept. 11, 2001. The officers were the first
Pittsburgh city officers to die in the line of duty in 18 years.

"This is a solemn day and it's a very sad day in the city of
Pittsburgh," Harper said. "We've seen this kind of violence happen in
California. We never would think this kind of violence would happen in
the city of Pittsburgh."

At 7 a.m., Sciullo and Mayhle responded to a 911 call from Poplawski's
mother, who remained holed up in the basement during the entire
dispute and escaped unharmed, Harper said.

When they arrived at the home, Sciullo was immediately shot in the
head. Mayhle, who was right behind him, was also shot in the head.

"It appears he was lying in wait for the officers," Harper said.

Kelly, who was on his way home after completing his overnight shift
when he heard the call for help, rushed to the scene and was killed
trying to help Sciullo and Mayhle, Harper said. SWAT teams and other
officers arrived and were immediately fired on as well.

Don Sand, who lives across the street from Poplawski, said he was
woken up by the sound of gunfire. Hunkering down behind a wall in his
home, he saw the first two officers go down and then saw Kelly get
shot.

"They couldn't get the scene secure enough to get to them. They were
just lying there bleeding," Sand said. "By the time they secured the
scene enough to get to them it was way too late."

Deputy Chief Paul Donaldson, who lives nearby, was one of the first
officers to arrive. He saw Mayhle by a bush to the right of the door;
Kelly was in the street and McManaway, his hand injured, was kneeling
beside him, yelling that Kelly needed help.

Donaldson suggested using a police van to get them. They draped a
bulletproof vest on the window to protect the driver and several
officers got into the van to get Kelly and McManaway.

During this time, Poplawski was somehow distracted, Donaldson said.

"We were fortunate that he didn't fire on us. I don't know why he was
distracted, but he apparently didn't see us coming down to get them,"
he said. "It could have been worse."

Poplawski had feared "the Obama gun ban that's on the way" and "didn't
like our rights being infringed upon," said Edward Perkovic, his best
friend.

Perkovic, 22, said he got a call at work from him in which he said,
"Eddie, I am going to die today. ... Tell your family I love them and
I love you."

Perkovic said: "I heard gunshots and he hung up. ... He sounded like
he was in pain, like he got shot."

Poplawski had once tried to join the Marines, but was kicked out of
boot camp after throwing a food tray at a drill sergeant, Perkovic
said.

Another longtime friend, Aaron Vire, said Poplawski feared that
President Barack Obama was going to take away his rights, though he
said he "wasn't violently against Obama."

Vire, 23, said Poplawski once had an Internet talk show but that it
wasn't successful. He said Poplawski owned an AK-47 rifle and several
powerful handguns, including a .357 Magnum.

Obama has said he respects Americans' constitutional right to bear
arms, but that he favors "common sense" gun laws. Gun rights advocates
interpret that as meaning he would approve some curbs on assault and
concealed weapons.

Poplawski had been laid off from his job at a glass factory earlier
this year, said another friend, Joe DiMarco. DiMarco said he didn't
know the name of the company, but knew his friend had been upset about
it.

The last Pittsburgh police officers killed in the line of duty were
Officers Thomas L. Herron and Joseph J. Grill, according to a Web site
that tracks police killings. They died after their patrol car collided
with another vehicle while chasing a stolen car on March 6, 1991.

In 1995, an off-duty officer was shot with his own gun after he
confronted a group of teenagers about graffiti. Tests later showed the
officer had been drinking.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 133
law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2008, a 27
percent decrease from year before and the lowest annual total since
1960.

Poplawski had often fought with neighbors and had even gotten into
fist fights with a couple, Sand said.

"This is a relatively really quiet neighborhood except for him," Sand
said. "He was just one of those kids that we knew to stay clear from."

Harper confirmed police had responded to calls from the Poplawski
house several times but said the incidents were still being
investigated.

Rob Gift, 45, who lives a block away, said the well-kept single-family
houses with manicured lawns are home to many police officers,
firefighters, paramedics and other city workers.

"It's just a very quiet neighborhood," Gift said.