Man with mental health illness shot and killed by police; DA Zappala says shooting was justified
U.S. DISTRICT ATTORNEY STEPHEN ZAPPALA SAYS THE SHOOTING IS JUSTIFIED. HE SAYS ONCE A KNIFE WAS SHOWN TO OFFICERS, THAT MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS BECAME A POLICE MATTER. BUT THE FAMILY SAYS MORE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO SAVE CHRISTOPHER SHEPARD’S LIFE. CHRIS, THIS IS A POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT’S BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE OF POLICE TRYING TO GET CHRISTOPHER SHEPARD OUT OF A HOME ON LAMAR ROAD IN UPPER SAINT CLAIR TOWNSHIP ON JANUARY SEVENTH. HE BARRICADED HIMSELF INSIDE. POLICE SAY HE HAD A KNIFE AND WAS THREATENING OTHERS. DISTRICT ATTORNEY STEPHEN ZAPPALA SAYS HE WILL NOT CHARGE THE SOUTH HILLS POLICE OFFICERS WHO SHOT AND KILLED HIM. HE SAYS THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY, BUT THE SHOOTING IS JUSTIFIED. SHEPARD’S FAMILY SAYS HE SHOULD STILL BE ALIVE. HEARTBROKEN. I DON’T THINK THAT MY BROTHER, WHO WAS THE KINDEST, MOST GENTLE MAN I’VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE AND WAS IN THE THROES OF A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, WAS JUSTIFIED IN BEING MURDERED THAT DAY. ZAPPALA SAYS THE DE-ESCALATION PROCESS LASTED FOR HOURS, WITH SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE SITUATION UNDER CONTROL, INCLUDING NEGOTIATION TACTICS WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS TO REMOVE THE KNIFE FROM SHEPARD. SHOTGUN HAS LESS LETHAL ROUNDS. EVERYTHING THAT THESE GUYS DO HAS TO HAVE LESS THAN LETHAL FORCE AVAILABLE, SO THIS PEPPER BALLS, EVEN THE USE OF A K-9, ARE ALL INTENDED NOT TO TAKE NOT TO TAKE LIFE. IT’S ALL INTENDED TO BE LESS THAN LETHAL. ZAPPALA SAYS ONCE OFFICERS SAW THE WEAPON, THAT’S A KNIFE. THAT’S A KITCHEN KNIFE. THE SIGNIFICANCE IS THAT IT’S NO LONGER A MENTAL HEALTH MATTER. IT IS NOW A POLICE MATTER. AND HE’S EXPRESSED HE’S EXPRESSED THAT HE IS A DANGER TO OTHER PEOPLE. OFFICERS SAY SHEPARD EVENTUALLY GOT OUT OF THE HOME AND WAS ON THE GROUND WAVING THE KNIFE WHEN OFFICERS FIRED 21 SHOTS WITH 18 HITTING HIM IN FIVE SECONDS. SHEPARD’S FAMILY SAYS THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE FAILED HIM AND THEY TRIED TO GET HIM. LONG-TERM MENTAL HEALTH CARE. THERE WAS NOWHERE TO TURN THERE WAS NOWHERE TO TURN TO GET MY BROTHER. THAT WILL BE NEEDED. WE KNEW HE NEEDED HELP AND THEY WOULDN’T HELP US. NOBODY WOULD HELP US UNTIL HE WAS MURDERED. NOW THE FAMILY HAS FILED A LAWSUIT. THEY ALSO QUESTION WHY THERE’S NO VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE EXACT MOMENT WHEN SHEPARD WAS SHOT AND KILLED. REPORT
Man with mental health illness shot and killed by police; DA Zappala says shooting was justified
Updated: 9:25 PM EST Dec 6, 2024
District Attorney Stephen Zappala said law enforcement shot and killed Christopher Shepherd and the shooting was justified, but the family of Shepherd disagreed and said more needed to be done to help the man who was living with mental health issues.Zappala said once a knife that Shepherd was wielding and waving at officers was shown to police, the mental health crisis became a police matter.On Jan. 7, Shepherd barricaded himself inside an Upper St. Clair home. Police said he had a knife and was threatening others. Zappala said he will not charge the South Hills police officers who shot and killed him. He said things could have been done differently, but the shooting was justified.Michelle Kippelen is Shepherd’s sister and said she feels “heartbroken. I don’t think that my brother, who was the kindest, most gentle man I’ve ever met in my life and was in the throes of a mental health crisis, was justified in being murdered that day.”Zappala said the de-escalation process lasted four hours, with several attempts to get the situation under control, including negotiation tactics with mental health professionals to remove the knife from Shepherd.Pointing to body camera video, Zappala said, “Shotgun has less lethal rounds. Everything that these guys do has to have less than lethal force available. So this, pepper balls, even the use of a K-9, are all intended not to take life. It’s all intended to be less than lethal.”Zappala says once officers saw the weapon, he explained, “That’s a kitchen knife. The significance is that it’s no longer a mental health matter. It is now a police matter. And he’s expressed, that he is a danger to other people.”Officers said Shepherd eventually got out of the home and was on the ground, waving the knife, when officers fired 21 shots, with 18 hitting him in five seconds.Shepherd’s family said the systems in place failed him, and they tried to get him long-term mental health care.”There was nowhere to turn to get my brother the help that we needed,” Kippelen said. “We knew he needed help, and they wouldn’t help us. Nobody would help us until he was murdered.”The family has filed a lawsuit. They also question why there is no video footage of the moment Shepherd was killed.
District Attorney Stephen Zappala said law enforcement shot and killed Christopher Shepherd and the shooting was justified, but the family of Shepherd disagreed and said more needed to be done to help the man who was living with mental health issues.
Zappala said once a knife that Shepherd was wielding and waving at officers was shown to police, the mental health crisis became a police matter.
On Jan. 7, Shepherd barricaded himself inside an Upper St. Clair home. Police said he had a knife and was threatening others. Zappala said he will not charge the South Hills police officers who shot and killed him. He said things could have been done differently, but the shooting was justified.
Michelle Kippelen is Shepherd’s sister and said she feels “heartbroken. I don’t think that my brother, who was the kindest, most gentle man I’ve ever met in my life and was in the throes of a mental health crisis, was justified in being murdered that day.”
Zappala said the de-escalation process lasted four hours, with several attempts to get the situation under control, including negotiation tactics with mental health professionals to remove the knife from Shepherd.
Pointing to body camera video, Zappala said, “Shotgun has less lethal rounds. Everything that these guys do has to have less than lethal force available. So this, pepper balls, even the use of a K-9, are all intended not to take life. It’s all intended to be less than lethal.”
Zappala says once officers saw the weapon, he explained, “That’s a kitchen knife. The significance is that it’s no longer a mental health matter. It is now a police matter. And he’s expressed, that he is a danger to other people.”
Officers said Shepherd eventually got out of the home and was on the ground, waving the knife, when officers fired 21 shots, with 18 hitting him in five seconds.
Shepherd’s family said the systems in place failed him, and they tried to get him long-term mental health care.
“There was nowhere to turn to get my brother the help that we needed,” Kippelen said. “We knew he needed help, and they wouldn’t help us. Nobody would help us until he was murdered.”
The family has filed a lawsuit. They also question why there is no video footage of the moment Shepherd was killed.
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