In the early hours of April 6, 1995, the life of Jerry Jackson, an African American man, came to a violent end inside the Armstrong Tunnels in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His death followed a high-speed chase, culminating in a hail of 51 bullets fired by police. The primary shooter was identified as John Charmo, a White Pittsburgh Housing Authority Police Officer.
An investigation later revealed that of the numerous shots fired, 35 were discharged after the vehicle Jackson was driving had come to a complete stop, pinned against the tunnel wall by Charmo's own vehicle.
The aftermath of the shooting was fraught with suspicion and controversy. Investigators discovered that Charmo had used 13 unauthorized Black Talon bullets, a type of hollow-point ammunition known for causing significant tissue damage. Allegations of a cover-up emerged during the investigation, which was handled by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. A crucial piece of evidence, a videotape of the crime scene that reportedly proved Jackson's car could not have made a threatening 180-degree turn as claimed by Charmo, was not initially disclosed. This videotape only came to light years later during a deposition for a civil suit filed by Jackson's family.
The path to justice for Jerry Jackson was a long and arduous one. A coroner's inquest was held in 1999, years after his death, spurred by the emergence of new evidence from the civil litigation. John Charmo was eventually prosecuted for his role in the shooting. In a criminal trial that took place in February 2001, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, resulting in a deadlocked jury. Ultimately, Charmo was permitted to plead to a lesser charge and was sentenced to a year in jail, of which he served 11 months. The case continued to be a point of contention in the community, with advocacy groups like the Black Political Empowerment Project calling for public hearings as late as 2005 to bring further awareness to the circumstances surrounding Jackson's death.
