‘We’re going to keep pushing.’ Community members call for justice after new allegations in Osagie case
Nearly 20 members of an advocacy group formed after a State College man was fatally shot by a borough police officer renewed its calls Friday for Centre County’s top prosecutor to resign.
County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna was not aware of the allegations raised Monday by the family of Osaze Osagie when he cleared the officers of wrongdoing in May 2019, he wrote in a statement Thursday.
He directed state police at Rockview to investigate the family’s claims, something both the 3/20 Coalition and family attorney Andy Shubin questioned the efficacy of.
“If this was an easy, open-and-shut case, we as Black people wouldn’t have been in the streets the way we were,” member Tierra Williams said in front of the Centre County Courthouse. “... The Osagie family’s statement is actually validation for us and all the things we’ve been saying.”
Nearly every protester held signs with succinct, pointed messages, including “Independent investigation now,” “Hold officers accountable” and “Defend Black voices.”
The group fell back on its list of 10 requests from the summer, some of which have been implemented, while others lingered or did not receive sustainable funding.
“DA Cantorna, you think we’re satisfied? Until you realize what we want, we’re going to keep pushing,” Williams said. “We’re not going to just sit idly by because, if we do that, it’ll be another two years. They should’ve got on this the first time, but they might want to handle this because we’ll be out here until justice for Osaze is served.”
Osagie, a 29-year-old Black man, was fatally shot in March 2019 when three white officers tried to serve a mental health warrant.
Former officer M. Jordan Pieniazek, Sgt. Christopher Hill and Lt. Keith Robb said Osagie moved toward them in a narrow hallway with a knife in his right hand. Pieniazek shot Osagie with his handgun after Hill fired his Taser, which was ineffective.
The family’s latest filing in their federal lawsuit raised new allegations against the department, including that Pieniazek was unfit for duty and now retired Captain Chris Fishel did not intervene.
Borough Manager Tom Fountaine and interim Mayor Ron Filippelli denied the allegations in a written statement, saying the lawsuit contained “false claims and half-truths.”
The statement, which was their first since the lawsuit was filed, flatly said the borough’s leadership did not withhold any information.
Williams said the borough’s rebuttal was “offensive,” while the State College NAACP said it was “deeply disturbed and outraged” because it said the borough did not follow through on its promise to be transparent.
“The SCPD and its administration failed Osaze and our community. The district attorney failed Osaze and our community. It is painfully troubling to think that what happened to the Osagie family can happen to another family in our community,” President Lorraine Jones wrote in a statement. “... As fellow community members, we must work together to protect vulnerable people in our community and hold those in leadership accountable.”
Friday’s hourlong protest was the second held by the 3/20 Coalition in the days since the Osagie family filed its amended lawsuit. The group held a rally Tuesday in front of the Allen Street gates in downtown State College.