Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Indiana Borough police chief outlines arrests, a critical incident and downtown pedestrian-safety changes
Summary
Chief Shaw told council the department navigated multiple large events, issued an arrest warrant in a shooting case and responded to a June 28 critical incident that injured an officer and killed a community member; the Pennsylvania State Police are investigating. He also described implementation of steady‑red pedestrian signals downtown.
Chief Shaw told Indiana Borough Council that the police department has been unusually busy in recent weeks and reported several developments the borough should expect to affect public safety.
"We've had 300 days worth of activity at least in Indiana Borough," Chief Shaw said, summarizing the department's recent workload that included multiple large summer events and a string of storms. He said the department issued an arrest warrant on June 25 related to a shooting near IUP’s campus and that two suspects from the Pittsburgh area have been charged; the department is awaiting custody of a second person.
Shaw also described a June 28 domestic‑disturbance response on Cherry Avenue that included violence and resulted in a seriously injured officer and the death of a community member. "Our hearts go out to everyone involved," Shaw said. He told council that the Pennsylvania State Police are conducting the investigation and that the Indiana County district attorney's office will review the case; he emphasized that the Indiana Borough Police Department is not investigating that incident.
On traffic safety, Shaw reported that the borough implemented a steady‑red pedestrian signal system on June 30 at multiple downtown intersections and installed no‑turn‑on‑red signs at 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th Streets. He said the department has received little negative feedback so far and will monitor operations; he credited partners including PennDOT and local legislators for support.
Shaw closed by thanking borough leaders and partner agencies for assistance during a recent critical incident and asked for the community’s patience while investigations continue.
