Herbert P. Brantlinger, a patrolman with the Pennsylvania State Police, was shot and killed in Bridgeville on September 3, 1933. He was investigating gasoline theft at a service station when he was shot by Thomas A. Davis, Jr., 19.
Davis was arrested in Kansas City in February 1934 after leaving a gas station without paying.
Returned to Pittsburgh, Davis was acquitted at trial in May 1934 after more than 40 hours of deliberation. The prosecution had sought the death penalty. The trial court subsequently repudiated the verdict as a result of undue sympathy for the young offender. Jurors disputed that view, stating their verdict reflected a weak case and evidence that Davis was beaten by police to force a confession.
Davis was then extradited to Illinois, where he was convicted of assault.
State Killings in the Steel City: The History of the Death Penalty in Pittsburgh 