Original Bloody Likely Case File
2009 Shooting Of Pittsburgh Police Officers
Three Pittsburgh police officers were ambushed and shot on April 4, 2009, at a Stanton Heights residence after responding to a 9-1-1 domestic call. The shooter, Richard Poplawski, exchanged gunfire with responding officers, held a four-hour standoff while wearing body armor and using multiple rifles and shotguns, and was wounded before surrendering. Poplawski was tried, convicted of three counts of first-degree murder, and sentenced to death; his execution has since been stayed pending appeals and claims of ineffective counsel. Key evidence included eyewitness accounts, ballistics tying multiple weapons to the scene, and Poplawski's admissions during post-arrest interviews.
Pittsburgh, PA
8 sources cited
Updated October 23, 2026
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
3 victims · Solved
