March 2023 Blues Vol 39 No. 3

AROUND THE COUNTRY yrs.

AROUND THE COUNTRY yrs. McKEESPORT, PA. ‘Genuinely a good officer’: Friends remember fallen McKeesport Police Officer Sean Sluganski. McKeesport, PA – McKeesport Police Department (MPD) Officer Sean Sluganski was murdered in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance on Monday afternoon. The Allegheny County Police Department (ACPD) said the incident occurred in the 1400-block of Wilson Street at approximately 12:11 p.m. on Feb. 6, WTAE reported. Officer Sluganski and fellow MPD Officer Charles Thomas responded to the area after the department was notified that a male was in the midst of a mental health crisis and that he was possibly armed. The call was placed by the suspect’s mother, who said her son suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was being aggressive, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. The suspect has since been identified as 31-year-old military veteran Jonathan Jermia Morris, WTAE reported. Investigators said the officers tried to talk with Morris when they arrived at the scene, but he refused to communicate with them. “The officers attempted to speak with the subject, and he walked away without speaking with officers,” ACPD Superintendent Christopher Kearns said, according to WTAE. He then pulled out a gun and opened fire, hitting both officers. Officer Thomas returned fire, hitting Morris in the leg before the suspect took off running to a nearby convenience store, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Morris then exchanged gunfire with a third officer before he was ultimately taken into custody. Officer Thomas, 35, was shot in the neck, hand, and face during the attack, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. He was flown to a hospital in Pittsburgh in serious condition and has since been released to continue his recovery at home, according to WTAE. Officer Sluganski, 32, was taken to UPMC McKeesport, where he was pronounced dead. “This is a tragic loss for our department and our community,” Allegheny County Director of Communications Amie Downs told WTAE in the wake of Officer Sluganski’s murder. “We have lost a friend, a trusted colleague and OFFICER SEAN SLUGANSKI an officer whose passion was providing service to the public.” Officer Sluganski served with the Charleroi Regional Police Department prior to joining the MPD two years ago, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. He leaves behind his fiancé and his infant daughter. A fundraising campaign established to help Officer Sluganski’s family in the wake of their loss has raised more than ,000 so far. 22 The BLUES The BLUES 23