Report: Ross Township Man Held for Trial in South Side Taser Incident

A Ross Township man was ordered held for trial Thursday on charges of defiant trespass after a St. Patrick's Day confrontation with a Pittsburgh police detective wielding a Taser, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. 

The incident videotaped and posted on social media, prompted Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravensthal to recommend the officer be fired . Click here to see it. (Warning: the video contains offensive language.)

Detective Frank Rende was recorded March 16 outside the Claddagh Irish Pub on the South Side holding a Taser to Mark Keyser Jr., 27, of Ross Township.

According to the Post-Gazette, Detective Rende testified Thursday that after he asked Mr. Keyser to leave the area, he walked away, then stopped and turned around every 10 feet, asking why he had to leave the area. He did this three or four times, Detective Rende said, all while screaming and using foul language.

"I said, 'Do you want Tased?' He said, 'Go ahead,'" Detective Rende testified.

Detective Rende testified that he put his hand on the man's shoulder before "he flopped to the ground."

Acting police Chief Regina McDonald said a test showed the Taser was not deployed, the P-G reported.

Keyser's attorney asked, in vain, for the charges to be dismissed.

"Judge, all he did was leave," said attorney Jessel Costa.

After the hearing, Keyser told the Post-Gazette he will continue to fight the charges.

"I'm going to take it as far as it will go," he told the P-G, adding later, "I'm not guilty of anything. I'm not going to plead to charges that are unfounded."

The FBI said a few days after the incident that it was considering opening a civil rights investigation into the actions of the officer.  

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