HARRISBURG — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the first significant investigation and arrest from the recently-launched Allegheny County Gun Violence Task Force — a Pittsburgh man charged with the attempted murder of three police officers.
Office of Attorney General agents, with Allegheny County police and other local law enforcement officers, served a search warrant Tuesday on Spring Street and arrested 24-year-old Bruce Harvard, who was wanted for shooting at two agents and a task force officer a year ago in Stowe Township.
Police also recovered a stolen loaded firearm, seven bricks of heroin/fentanyl, and crack cocaine.
Harvard was arraigned Tuesday afternoon on 23 charges, including three counts of criminal attempted murder, numerous felony counts of aggravated assault, and other charges, stemming from the February 27, 2023, incident.
Harvard was incarcerated without bail, due to his “threat to the community,” according to the district judge who conducted arraignment.
Eric Durah, 25, also is charged in the incident. The men allegedly shot at agents and a task force officer who were attempting to conduct a vehicle stop in Stowe Township. The attempted murder charges regard a McKees Rock Police Officer and two Office of Attorney General agents.
The investigation continues into who else was involved in the shooting incident.
“These crimes shook the core of this community. Attempts to kill law enforcement officers are not only direct threats to the lives of the officers involved, but to the principles of law and order that keep neighborhoods safe,” Attorney General Henry said. “The Allegheny County Gun Violence Task Force has hit the ground running with this collaborative operation, and we are expecting more good work in the future.”
Other individuals at the residence were taken into custody. Additional charges could be filed.
At the Spring Street residence Tuesday, officers recovered:
- A stolen Springfield XDS .45 caliber pistol
- Seven bricks of heroin/fentanyl
- 5.5 grams of crack cocaine
- $985 cash
Officials announced in February the launch of the Allegheny County Gun Violence Task Force, a collaborative network targeting illegal purchases and transfers of firearms and the violent crimes that result from those transactions.
The Task Force is a formalization and expansion of partnerships between the Office of Attorney General, Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, Allegheny County Police Department, Pittsburgh Police Department, and other local, state, and federal agencies.
The case will be prosecuted by the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office. All charges are accusations. The defendants are innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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