US EditionBeaver County Police Officer Pleads Guilty in Death of Man Who Was Trying to Help Shooting Victim
BEAVER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, JUL 14 – John Hawk pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to five years probation after fatally striking Kenneth Vinyard, a bystander at a shooting scene, prosecutors said.
- On July 15, 2025, John J. Hawk pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, simple assault and reckless endangerment, with trial scheduled to start that day.
- In November 2022, Hawk, off duty and in civilian clothes, confronted Kenneth Vinyard outside a Beaver County Walmart, where he approached officers about evidence.
- A medical examiner found blunt force trauma and stress contributed to Vinyard’s death, who died upon arrival at a hospital, according to the examination.
- At his sentencing, Hawk apologized to Vinyard’s family, and Attorney General Dave Sunday said Vinyard was 'the family glue'.
- Beyond probation, the court mandated a mental health evaluation for Hawk, and Debbie Little, Vinyard’s sister, said, 'We were prepared for the worst.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Off-duty officer gets probation in death of bystander trying to help police at Beaver County shooting
An off-duty police officer who struck a bystander in the chest and knocked him to the ground as the man tried to give police information about a shooting outside in Pennsylvania has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the man’s…
Associated Press News
Off-duty officer gets probation in death of bystander trying to help police at Pennsylvania shooting
An off-duty Pennsylvania police officer who struck a bystander in the chest and knocked him to the ground as the man tried to give police information about a shooting in Pennsylvania has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the man’s death.
Off-duty officer pleads guilty in connection with death of bystander at Beaver County shooting scene
Pennsylvania's attorney general says Kenneth Vinyard "was not a threat to anyone at the scene of this shooting" when the off-duty officer performed a leg sweep that knocked him to the ground.
Officer given 5 years probation after guilty plea in death of innocent bystander
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) -- An officer, who was off-duty at the time of a shooting at a Pennsylvania Walmart in 2022, pleaded guilty in the death of an innocent bystander, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced. John J. Hawk, 38, was a Center Township police officer in Beaver County when a shooting happened in the Walmart parking lot. Hawk, although off-duty, was at the scene when an innocent bystander, Kenneth Vinyard, approached officers with wh…
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