Prosecutors Wednesday withdrew all charges against a retired Pittsburgh police sergeant accused of shooting her grandson.

Pittsburgh police arrested Virginia Beck, 64 — who retired in 2019 after a nearly four-decade career with the city’s police force — in February on attempted homicide, aggravated assault and other charges.

Police said Beck shot her 16-year-old grandson in the leg during an argument at her Stanton Heights home.

The case was dropped Tuesday because the grandson refused to testify against Beck in court, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office told TribLive.

“As in other cases in which the victim is uncooperative and refuses to testify, we thus are unable to meet our burden of proof and for evidentiary reasons are unable to proceed,” Rebecca Spangler, the district attorney’s chief of staff, said in an email.

She declined further comment.

Attorney Anthony Christmas, who represents Beck, did not return multiple phone calls Tuesday and Wednesday seeking comment.

Beck also did not return calls.

Around 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 11, Beck argued with her grandson, who police did not name, after the teen punched a hole in a bedroom wall of Beck’s Hawthorne Court home, a criminal complaint said.

The teen, who was living with Beck during the week, had run away from her house five days before the incident, a complaint said. Beck filed a missing person report and police later found the boy and brought him home.

The victim’s father told police there had been an ongoing family conflict.

During the argument, Beck came into the teen’s bedroom with a back scratcher, a complaint said. She left the room and, when she returned, she had a gun.

The victim told police he feared Beck would cut up his clothes so he went to smash a PlayStation console, a complaint said. When he picked up the PlayStation, Beck removed a silver revolver from her waistband.

“Chill,” the teen told Beck, according to police.

Beck fired one shot, striking the boy in the upper thigh, a complaint said. Beck then called 911 and refused to answer any of the dispatcher’s questions.

She later carried the teen to her vehicle and dropped him off at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, a complaint said. She did not go inside.

The teen told authorities he was shot at Beck’s house but “was hesitant to go into further detail,” according to police.

Police detained Beck at her home after the shooting but released her, a complaint said. She was arrested later that day.

District Judge Eugene Ricciardi on Feb. 12 denied Beck bail during her arraignment, court records show. Ricciardi said she “poses a threat to victim and community.”

Beck was held at the Allegheny County Jail for eight days, court records show. On Feb. 20, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski changed her bail to nonmonetary and she was released.

Beck was hired by Pittsburgh police in 1983 and retired as a sergeant three decades later, in 2019, police spokeswoman Cara Cruz told TribLive.

“Decisions regarding prosecution lie solely with the DA’s office,” said Cruz, who declined further comment.

The police force’s pension office confirmed Beck’s retirement date Wednesday but did not release details of her pension or ending salary with the bureau.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)