PITTSBURGH —
The City of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, along with three officers and a commander, were named in a lawsuit stemming from the February 2024 arrest of a man with autism.
“He respects police officers, likes police officers, has had a good, sort of, feeling toward police officers throughout his life until this happened,” said attorney James Tallman, who is representing the plaintiff. “Unfortunately, this has had an impact on how he views police officers.”
According to the lawsuit, Kevin Dunn went for an afternoon walk in his West End neighborhood when he was suddenly surrounded by police cars.
Officers Seth Tessmer, Jordan Price, and Anthony Rosato allegedly tried to detain Dunn before he ran to his aunt’s front porch nearby, the complaint said. According to the document, that’s where police wrestled Dunn to the ground and used a taser on him, “without any rational justification.”
Dunn was later taken to the hospital and released without any charges.
“He had marks from the tasers, some bruising from the tasers, but most of the injury was emotional and psychological. A traumatic experience that has continued to impact him,” Tallman told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reporter Jordan Cioppa.
During his walk, Dunn had a small stick in his hand used for stimming, which consists of repetitive movements, sounds, and actions commonly performed by people with autism.
“It can oftentimes be misinterpreted if you don’t understand what it is. Plain and simple,” said Jesse Torisky, the President and CEO of Autism Pittsburgh. “The more you’re able to familiarize yourself with that, the better it is that you’ll be able to make the best decision under the circumstances.”
Dunn also displayed what are described as “unusual mannerisms stereotypical to those with autism.”
Torisky teaches first responders to be on the lookout for characteristics, like the ones stated in the complaint. He offers an autism-focused training for law enforcement where he lays out effective methods of communication and de-escalation.
“If they can identify early on that this person’s on the spectrum, it would greatly increase the likelihood of a less violent result,” Torisky said.
The complaint alleges there is a “lack of training with neurodivergent/autistic individuals” at the bureau of police.
The three officers’ supervisor, Commander Raymond Rippole, was also sued. The plaintiff is demanding a jury trial.
A Pittsburgh city spokesperson said they do not comment on pending litigation.
Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 requested a comment from Pittsburgh Police but did not hear back.