This guy shot a rookie cop a few months ago. Good to hear the judge found P.C. to hold him for court...


West View man held for trial in cop shooting
Wednesday, March 28, 2007

By Jim McKinnon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A former convict from West View today was ordered to stand trial in connection with a fight last month with an off-duty policeman who was wounded with his own gun in the scuffle.

Michael Langer, 24, who had been held on $1 million bail, had that reduced to a $100,000 at a hearing yesterday before District Judge Richard G. Opiela in West View.

The rookie part-time borough police officer, Sean Hein, 19, of Millvale, suffered bullet wounds of the chest and hip in the Feb. 16 fracas.

Mr. Langer was arrested by Allegheny County homicide detectives shortly after the shooting, which was reported at 2:06 a.m.

Borough officers had responded to the call in Cooper Alley behind the 100 block of Bronx Avenue, in the rear of a residence shared by Mr. Langer and his parents, West View police Chief Charles Holtgraver has said.

Police found Officer Hein sitting in his vehicle with bullet wounds.

Mr. Langer told investigators he placed the officer in the vehicle after their fight and the shooting, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

Mr. Langer's girlfriend, who had been at the Langer residence, told police that a short time before the shooting, Mr. Langer had driven away in her car without her permission.

When he returned with the vehicle, he got into the scuffle with Officer Hein, Chief Holtgraver said.

According the arrest affidavit, the two men had been arguing before the fight when Mr. Langer was on top of the officer, beating him.

Mr. Langer told police that Officer Hein pulled the pistol during the argument. As he tried to wrest the weapon away from the officer, it discharged as the muzzle was pointed at Mr. Hein.

The chief said Mr. Hein had not been on duty for a few days before the incident, and he only worked about one day a week in the borough.

The injured officer has worked part-time in West View since November. He also has worked part-time in Sewickley, Chief Holtgraver said.

Mr. Langer initially was arraigned on aggravated assault charges.

He is known to police in the North Hills. He was released some time in the past six months from jail in connection with an unrelated case in which he pleaded guilty in August 2005 to charges in a home invasion robbery, according to court records.

Common Pleas Judge Kathleen A. Durkin sentenced him to 10 years' probation.

At yesterday's preliminary hearing, prosecutors amended the complaint to include charges of theft by unlawful taking, attempted homicide and illegally possessing a weapon as a convicted felon.

Mr. Langer was returned to the county jail following the hearing.



http://www.postgazette.com/pg/07087/773154-100.stm