Jan. 25--City schools police Chief Robert Fadzen testified this morning at his disciplinary hearing that he did not act outside his authority after spotting a sawed-off shotgun inside a car parked near Brashear High School in 1997.
Fadzen said that city police, not he or his school police officers, removed guns from the car.
"All we did was take out the shells to prevent a tragedy," Fadzen said.
He said tension existed at the time between two gangs at the high school.
Three revolvers also were found in the car. A man was convicted on various weapons charges, but the Pennsylvania Superior Court overturned the conviction on the grounds that Fadzen and the other officers acted outside their authority.
An attorney for Pittsburgh Public Schools said this morning in her opening statement that Fadzen should be fired because he refuses to follow the law.
"Instead, he follows a mistaken interpretation of his jurisdiction to act," Stacey Vernallis said.
The administration removed Fadzen, 60, of Green Tree from his job in September and placed him on unpaid leave in November.
Vernallis contends that Fadzen has a history of acting outside his authority.
"It is our position that Mr. Fadzen cannot be rehabilitated." she said. Instead, he ignores the school superintendent, the solicitor and Superior Court, she said.
In the most recent instance, Fadzen stopped an ambulance driver for making a U-turn even though the vehicle had its lights flashing and alarms blaring. District Solicitor Ira Weiss said Fadzen pursued the ambulance from the Fort Duquesne Boulevard, Downtown, to the West End Bridge.
Carl Beard is the hearing officer. Attorneys Ralston Jackson and John Murtaugh are representing Fadzen.
The hearing, which is being conducted in the school district's Administration Building, is scheduled to continue tomorrow and is set to resume next week.
Copyright 2012 - The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
