Pittsburgh man opts for trial in New Kensington shooting case

A Pittsburgh man faces a mandatory sentence of at least 20 years in prison if he’s convicted of shooting at three New Kensington police officers when he goes to trial next month.

Assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli said prosecutors offered J’Lamar Washington, 21, an agreement that would have called for him to serve eight to 20 years in prison in exchange for a guilty plea.

Washington’s attorney Valerie Veltri said she’s ready for trial, which is scheduled to start April 8.

If he’s convicted of shooting at the three officers, Washington faces a mandatory sentence of 20 to 40 years, which could be made into a consecutive sentence for each count, Iannamorelli said.

Washington will be the second defendant tried in the case.

The first was acquitted by a jury in January 2022.

During that first trial, prosecutors said Washington and the other suspect fired as many as nine shots that hit an unmarked surveillance van being used by police during a search for a suspect in an unrelated criminal case on Feb. 4, 2020.

The van’s windows were shot out as it drove down Kenneth Avenue. One of the bullets struck the back of the driver’s seat headrest, prosecutors said.

None of the police officers was injured.

A trial witness testified that he saw Washington with guns just before the shooting. The defense attorney in that case suggested the witness fired the shots, not either co-defendant.

“I recall trying the other case and I recall the defendant had been implicated by other people in that case,” Judge Scott Mears said.

Washington is charged with attempted homicide, assault of a law enforcement officer and related offenses.

Attorneys expect Washington’s trial to last four to five days. He remains jailed without bail.