Pittsburgh police are reviewing the ammunition used by the department because officers raised fears that the bullets do not have enough stopping power.
The officers say that twice in recent weeks it has taken several shots for an officer to disable a gunmen who was shooting at police.
Deputy Chief Paul Donaldson sent a memo to the police bureau saying the .40 caliber ammunition being used by officers was picked after a comparison study conducted by FBI experts.
Still, police plan to evaluate the stock, compare products and track shot placement in officer involved shootings.
Officers have worried about the ammo in recent months, said Officer Eric Engelhardt, chairman of the FOP Officer Safety Committee. "There's not a lot of confidence in this ammo in our department," Engelhardt said. "It's definitely a concern ... (But) you can't say it's the ammo without looking at it."
Officer Morgan Jenkins was shot and critically wounded and his partner injured in a scuffle and shootout early Thursday with James Robert Hill in Homewood. Officer Christopher Kertis was shot twice in the leg on March 17 in a shootout with Dante Bonner, 18, in East Liberty.
In both cases, officers said, the gunman continued to shoot at officers despite being wounded.
Copyright 2013 - The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
