ESPN Outside the Lines Targets Steelers Head of Security
Steelers head of security Lt. Jack Kearney is the subject of a lengthy new article from ESPN Outside the Lines, which alleges that Kearney's actions blur the line between law enforcement and protecting the players.
The article claims that things Kearney has done in the past are a conflict of interest with his status as an Allegheny County sheriff's lieutenant.
"Sheriff's deputies are prohibited by policy from holding off-duty positions with 'any potential for a conflict-of-interest,' but on numerous occasions, Kearney has acted on the Steelers' behalf: expediting gun permits for players, providing damage control on a domestic violence case and delivering 24-hour assistance that sometimes blurs the lines between law enforcement agent and protector, according to multiple sources in and out of the sheriff's office," the article states. "In one case, U.S. marshals believed the Steelers, with Kearney as security director, tipped off a player who had been implicated in a Las Vegas prostitution ring, touching off a day-long manhunt that delayed the player's arrest, federal officials told 'Outside the Lines.' After the marshals complained, Kearney's supervisor told him to "keep in mind his primary jobs" but concluded he had not violated department regulations."
One particular incident that the report says Kearney got involved in was the stabbing of offensive lineman Mike Adams in 2013.
"In the Adams case, the Steelers' top rookie in 2012 had been stabbed during a drunken melee, but details of the crime initially were few, and whether he was an innocent victim or played some role in the altercation was unclear," the report reads. "Police reports and court documents show that Kearney went to the hospital and met with Adams -- a conversation that occurred hours before detectives interviewed the player for the first time. Shortly after, Kearney moved Adams' truck -- which would become a potential piece of evidence -- to the Steelers' practice facility. In his role as a sheriff's deputy, he then led the investigation to locate one of the suspects. When the case went to trial, defense attorneys believed Kearney was so compromised that they appealed to the judge to prevent him from wearing his sheriff's uniform to testify.
"The three defendants were acquitted of all major charges. During closing arguments, the defense suggested that Adams changed his story significantly after speaking with Kearney in the hospital. One of the defendants, Dquay Means, who spent 11 months in jail awaiting trial, is suing Adams for 'malicious prosecution.' On Wednesday, Adams was deposed in that case."
Allegheny County sheriff William P. Mullen gave a statement in support of Kearney to Outside the Lines.
"Lieutenant Kearney has an excellent history as a member of the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office," Mullen wrote. "Unless facts and circumstances exist to the contrary, which are completely unknown to me, there is no reason for me to believe Lieutenant Kearney permits his secondary employment to affect his performance as an Allegheny County Sheriff's Office employee."
READ MORE: http://pit.247sports.com/Bolt/ESPN-Outside-the-Lines-Targets-Steelers-Head-of-Security-34966722
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