The two men who have been identified by police officials are Bruce Kelley Jr., 37, of Pittsburgh, and his father, Bruce Kelley Sr., ,61, of Pittsburgh, fought with two Port Authority of Allegheny County police officers.after being asked several times to leave a public park, after the officers saw the two drinking alcohol.
The fight ended in the stabbing-death of K-9 Officer Aren, a five-year-old German Shepherd Dog, the shooting of Kelley Jr. by police and the two officers being cut with a knife that was wielded by Kelley Jr.
From at least 2009 through 2015 Kelley Jr. has been arrested at least 12 times according to online court records..
He has been charged multiple times with burglary, theft, receiving stolen property, criminal trespassing, incident assault, loitering or prowling at night, defiant trespass, resisting arrest and conspiracy.
Kelley Jr. has pleaded or been found guilty several times of theft related crimes; and corrupting children, making a false report to police—falsely accusing a person with a crime, and DUI.
In May of 2010 he violated his probation when he was convicted of the felony offense of trespassing inside a building and refusing to leave.
Kelley Sr. online court records document, pleaded guilty in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court in 2007 to breaking into a building, refusing to leave a public school and receiving stolen property, and received 18 months probation.
In a separate case in 2008 Kelley Sr. pleaded guilty to similar crimes including burglary.
According to a criminal complaint filed against Kelley Sr., as well as statements by Port Authority spokespersons, the two officers approached the men after they saw them drinking alcohol. Kelley Jr. “attempted to walk away” as the officers approached him. Kelley Jr. refused to stop after being requested to by the officers, “and then began to aggressively approach officers. “He stated f***k thus and rushed [one of the officers], the complaint alleges.
While the one officer was trying to subdue Kelley Jr. who had a knife, his father approached the other officer and “struck her with a closed fist to the right side of her face.” During her struggle with Kelley Sr. her name tag was ripped from her uniform and her radio was knocked to the ground.
The officer sprayed Kelley Sr. with pepper spray and knocked him to the ground, but he got up and attacked both officers.
Kelley Jr. was TASED twice by police, neither was effective because of the heavy clothing he was wearing. K-9 Officer Aren was released on Kelley Jr. He stabbed the police dog several times in his oral cavity according to the results of a necropsy that was released late Monday.
Officer Aren died as a result of the stab wounds a short time later at a local veterinary emergency hospital.
Kelley Jr. was shot multiple times in his torso and extremities, according to a news release from the Allegheny County Medical Examiner”s Office and died a short time later.
Police arrested Kelley Sr. approximately 30 minutes after the incident ended, and found he was carrying brass knuckles. It is unknown whether he used them when he struck the female officer in the head.
Currently Kelley Sr. is in the Allegheny County Jail after failing to post a $300,000 cash bond, charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, possession of a prohibited offensive weapon [brass knuckles], obstructing police, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and being drunk in public. He faces a February 11 preliminary hearing.
A memorial service for Officer Aren is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Thursday at the Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Pittsburgh. A procession will start shortly before then on the East Busway and travel to the memorial, according to Port Authority spokesperson Adam Brandolph.
