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Uniformed cops barred from fired Pittsburgh officer’s trial

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PITTSBURGH (AP) – A federal judge has agreed with prosecutors to bar uniformed police officers from the courtroom when a fired Pittsburgh officer faces civil rights charges that he wrongly beat a drunken man and then lied about it in a police report.

U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon ruled Monday in the upcoming trial of former Sgt. Stephen Matakovich. The trial starts May 22.

Matakovich faces charges of deprivation of civil rights and falsification of a document. He claimed the man appeared ready to attack at a high school football championship game at Heinz Field in 2015. Surveillance video showed the man with his hands at his sides and not advancing when he was pushed down and struck by Matakovich.

Prosecutors were concerned that the jury could be influenced if they saw uniformed officers in court supporting Matakovich.

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