Latest news with #JohnHawk
Associated Press
a day ago
- Associated Press
Off-duty officer gets probation in death of bystander trying to help police at Pennsylvania shooting
BEAVER, Pa. (AP) — An off-duty police officer who struck a bystander in the chest and knocked him to the ground as the man tried to give police information about a shooting outside in Pennsylvania has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the man's death. John J. Hawk, 38, was sentenced Tuesday to five years of probation after entering the plea after jury selection Monday in his scheduled trial in Beaver County, about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. He also pleaded guilty to assault and reckless endangerment in the November 2022 attack on Kenneth Vinyard, 48, outside a Walmart. At the sentencing, Vinyard's family described the man as the family glue, according to Attorney General Dave Sunday. 'This sworn officer's actions contributed to the death of a man who was not a threat to anyone at the scene of this shooting,' Sunday said in a statement. Hawk, an officer in Center Township, was in civilian clothing when he confronted the victim as he spoke to police, Sunday said. He died upon arrival at a hospital. A medical examiner found the blunt force trauma and related stress contributed to his death. Hawk apologized to the victim's family at his sentencing. His lawyer did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment. 'I hope that he can move on and have a good life with his family,' fiancee Marcy Beatty told WTAE-TV. 'Ours is broken, and it will take a long time for that to heal.' One person suffered a gunshot wound in the Walmart shooting, authorities said at the time.
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Former Beaver County officer gets probation after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in bystander's death
A former Beaver County police officer was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of a bystander at a shooting scene. Just as trial testimony was set to start Tuesday, 38-year-old John Hawk pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and related offenses for assaulting 48-year-old Kenneth Vinyard, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced. Prosecutors said Vinyard was a bystander at a shooting scene outside the Walmart in Center Township on Nov. 6, 2022. When he walked up to police to provide potential evidence, prosecutors said Hawk, who was off-duty at the time, confronted Vinyard and pulled him away. Shortly after, prosecutors said Hawk struck Vinyard in the chest and performed a leg-sweep maneuver, knocking Vinyard to the ground. Vinyard, who hit his head on the pavement, died at the hospital. The medical examiner ruled that blunt force trauma and "accompanying stress inflicted by Hawk" contributed to his death, the attorney general's office said. "This sworn officer's actions contributed to the death of a man who was not a threat to anyone at the scene of this shooting," Sunday said in a press release. "My team was fully prepared to try this case, but, after selecting a jury on Monday, we were informed the defendant wished to plead guilty." The trial was scheduled to start on Tuesday, and prosecutors were ready to call up to 15 witnesses. In 2023, Vinyard's estate was awarded nearly $1 million to settle a lawsuit against Center Township and Hawk over his death. The assault was recorded on cell phone video. Deborah Little, Vinyard's sister, told KDKA-TV it's been "absolute hell, torture" since her brother died. She said she thought Hawk should be in prison, saying "he took my brother's life without reason." "Nothing that will happen this week will bring him back, and it won't take away the hurt and the tragedy it has done to our family," Little said. "But I promised him when he died that I would fight until I could fight no more, and that's what I intend to do."
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Trial for off-duty Beaver County police officer charged in man's death begins Tuesday
The jury has been selected for the criminal case against a former Beaver County police officer charged with a man's death. Former Center Township police officer John Hawk is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Kenneth Vinyard. The jury will be asked at trial whether his actions in 2022 caused Vinyard to die. The trial will start at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. It is expected to last until Friday. "It's been absolute hell, torture," said Deborah Little, Vinyard's sister. "It's a lot of emotions. Relief in a way that we are finally to the point where we have been fighting for almost three years." In November 2022, Hawk was off duty and out of uniform when he was shopping at the Walmart store in Monaca. He was asked to help fellow officers at a shooting scene in the parking lot. The Vinyard family's civil attorney said a cell phone video shows Vinyard trying to give information to police about the suspect when Hawk sweeps Vinyard's leg, knocking him to the ground. He hit his head on the pavement and died at the hospital. The coroner ruled Vinyard's death an accident and said the cause was hypertensive and atherosclerotic disease, saying, "blunt force trauma of the head and associated stress that occurred during the confrontation contributed to his demise." Several sources who saw the police body camera video told KDKA they thought Hawk's actions were "unjustified." "Nothing that will happen this week will bring him back, and it won't take away the hurt and the tragedy it has done to our family," Little said. "But I promised him when he died that I would fight until I could fight no more, and that's what I intend to do." Hawk's attorney on Monday declined to comment on the case, which is being tried by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. But Little, who flew in from Georgia to attend the trial, had a lot to say. "We want the best outcome to be that he is found guilty, and hoping and praying that is what happens," she said. "What do you think would be a just punishment for former police officer John Hawk?" KDKA's Jennifer Borrasso asked. "He needs to go to prison," Little said. "To me, that's the only just form of punishment for him. He took my brother's life without reason." During the trial, prosecutors could call up to 15 witnesses, though no word on whether Hawk — who has been out on bond — will take the stand. Hawk's defense did get a major win before the trial. The judge threw out the aggravated assault charge earlier this year. Involuntary manslaughter could result in five years in prison.
