By Jason Cato
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh firefighter made it two-thirds of the way home early Wednesday behind the wheel of a stolen Rivers Casino security truck before police arrested him on suspicion of drunken driving and other offenses.
William M. White, 50, of Marshall-Shadeland in the North Side, is charged with theft of vehicle, receiving stolen property, reckless driving, harassment and drunken driving. He was released from the Allegheny County Jail on a non-monetary bond.
White could not be reached for comment. He will be suspended without pay until he goes before a trial board of fellow firefighters, said city Public Safety Director Mike Huss. The board must conduct a hearing within 30 days.
Two police officers encountered White driving in the wrong lane on Brighton Road in a Ford Ranger after 2:20 a.m., according to a criminal complaint. White nearly hit a police cruiser before stopping on Highwood Street, where he ran off and tried to scale a fence, the complaint states.
“I’m a Pittsburgh fireman. Please let me go,” police said White -- whom they described as “glassy” eyed and of smelling like alcohol -- stated several times before spitting on an officer. He was then arrested.
The incident started moments before at the North Shore casino, where a security guard found White urinating on the fourth floor of the casino’s parking garage, said police Lt. Michael Piasecki. White identified himself as a firefighter and asked the guard for a ride home, Piasecki said. The guard invited White into the Ford Ranger and drove him to the casino’s front entrance to call a cab, Piasecki said.
When White got out, he got into a confrontation with an unnamed woman, Piasecki said. While the guard attempted to break up the altercation, White got back in the pickup and drove away, Piasecki said. He nearly struck the woman, who left the scene and could not be located, according to the complaint.
White was about a mile from his Rothpletz Street home when police arrested him. Tests showed White had a blood-alcohol content of .226 percent -- almost three times the legal limit, Piasecki said.
A roster of city employees shows White was hired as a firefighter in November 1993. He makes about $54,000 a year.
Huss, a former city fire chief, said White went before the trial board of firefighters at least once before. Two years ago, he showed up to work at a North Side station intoxicated and argued with other firefighters, Huss said. Huss couldn’t say what punishment was levied.
“There are a lot of good firefighters out there who put their lives on the line every day, and these types of incidents hurt them the most,” Huss said. He said such incidents also undermine the public’s confidence in firefighters.
Firefighter union president Joseph King did not return a call seeking comment.
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