Vandergrift suspends cop whose encounter with Black restaurant patron went viral

Vandergrift has suspended a police officer who had been the target of an internal investigation concerning his conduct while on duty.

Officer William Moore’s unpaid suspension took effect Tuesday and will last four weeks, into early July.

The decision was made Monday after council emerged from behind closed doors following an executive session lasting 20 to 30 minutes. A motion to suspend Moore was made and carried by council, according to attorney Alaine G. Generelli, acting as solicitor for Monday’s meeting because of the absence of Solicitor Larry Loperfito.

The meeting ended moments later. Council members didn’t publicly discuss the motion or their decision.

Mayor Barbara Turiak, who was not at Monday’s meeting, declined to comment when reached Tuesday. As mayor, one of her duties is overseeing the police department.

Moore declined to comment when reached Tuesday. He has been paid since being removed from the work schedule April 19.

Ronald R. Retsch, an attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police Allegheny Valley Lodge 39, also declined to comment.

Moore has been with the department for more than 20 years.

The borough launched its internal investigation following an April 17 incident in which Moore responded to a Westmoreland County 911 call reporting that a Black male was smoking marijuana outside of G&G Restaurant. Upon arrival, Moore began questioning a Black customer inside the restaurant, and the customer, 20-year-old Marcus Townsend of Vandergrift, took footage of the interaction.

Townsend, 20, posted several videos on social media after the incident and was critical of Moore’s conduct, calling him out for what he described as racial profiling.

Townsend is a 2018 Kiski High School alumnus and said he feels the disciplinary action is upsetting.

“I don’t think it’s right because in my eyes, I feel like the dude is not a good cop,” Townsend said. “I wanted him fired. I feel disrespected, and I don’t know what to do with that.”

Townsend said he still patronizes G&G Restaurant and goes there almost daily.

His message for the borough residents: “I feel like the people of this town want a good, simple and peaceful town. You’ve got to do things right and go by code. He (Moore) showed he is not someone that respects code and the ways of the law. I hope the people that want Billy back there understand what they’re bringing back.”

Townsend has lived in the borough since 2017. He’s a musician, and said he would like to plan positive things for Vandergrift.

“I’m trying to plan things for Vandergrift and be a positive vibe,” Townsend said. “It was upsetting because I didn’t expect to be treated like this by my own town.”

He said he doesn’t have legal counsel and added he was not smoking marijuana on the day of the incident outside of the restaurant.

“The experience has been hectic,” Townsend said. “I go out in public and I’m known as the G&G guy.”

The incident attracted the attention of the state’s highest-ranking law enforcement official. Attorney General Josh Shapiro weighed in on the footage, posting on social media that he thought Moore behaved unprofessionally.