Odell Brown, a 19-year-old Black male from East Liberty, died on June 13, 2012, after a tense morning standoff on the 500 block of North Euclid Avenue in Pittsburgh. The incident began around 9:45 a.m., when neighbors and authorities reported that Brown was outside acting erratically and carrying what appeared to be a firearm. Police and SWAT officers moved into the area, blocked nearby streets, and told residents to stay inside as Brown remained in the street and near his porch.
For
about 90 minutes, officers tried to get Brown to put the weapon down. Reports described him as distraught, with police officials later saying he had made statements suggesting he did not want to live. Family members said he had been upset over a recent breakup, and they later said they knew the weapon he had was a pellet gun, not a real firearm. From the officers' position, however, the pellet gun was described as realistic-looking enough to be mistaken for a pistol.
The standoff ended shortly before 11 a.m. when Allegheny County Sheriff's Deputy Sean Green shot Brown in the chest after Brown allegedly pointed the weapon toward him and refused repeated commands to drop it. Brown was taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, where he later died. Officials later confirmed that the weapon was not a real gun but a gun-like pellet gun.
Police Chief Nate Harper described the case as appearing to be “suicide by police officer,” while Sheriff William Mullen said the deputy believed his life was in danger when Brown allegedly aimed the weapon. Brown's mother, Andrea Stevens, questioned whether the situation could have ended differently if family members had been given a chance to speak with him or tell officers what kind of weapon he likely had.
Deputy Sean Green was identified in reports as the officer who fired the fatal shot, and he was placed on leave as part of standard procedure after the shooting. Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. did not immediately declare the shooting justified and instead sought a grand jury review of the fatal standoff, including the response by Pittsburgh police and county sheriff's deputies. No online source reviewed reported that anyone was arrested or criminally charged in connection with Brown's death.
