Apr 28, 2006 By Jennifer Harr 3 min read

A Pittsburgh psychiatrist believes that Kermith Sonnier Jr. was suicidal when he allegedly drove his truck toward four police officers and was shot and killed in 2004. That expert report from Dr. Lawson F. Bernstein was filed Thursday on behalf of two of the four officers who were sued in federal court by Sonnier’s father, Kermith Sr.

Bernstein’s report stated he reviewed various depositions from police, witnesses and Sonnier’s family, the inquest transcript, investigative files and other records associated with the case to draw his conclusions.

Bernstein’s report indicated that Sonnier had a “long history of cocaine abuse and related neuropsychiatric and legal problems.”

Because Sonnier was given intravenous fluids at the hospital, Bernstein’s report indicated that it likely diluted the actual amount of cocaine in his blood. Bernstein indicated that Sonnier’s cocaine level “more likely than not was at a level consistent with clinical cocaine intoxication” when he was shot.

“His actions on May 5, 2004, are consistent with an ultimately successful attempt to provoke his own death through his irrational and highly aggressive actions towards police officers involved in pursuing and attempting to apprehend him for the commission of multiple crimes.

“They are also consistent with the known adverse behavioral effects of cocaine ingestion,” Bernstein wrote.

Toxicology tests showed that Sonnier had both cocaine and the anti-depressant Doxepin in his system on the day he died. In a footnote to his report, Bernstein indicated that the Doxepin would have enhanced the effect of the cocaine.

The 37-year-old Denbeau Heights man was fatally shot after a pursuit that started in the village of Century in Brownsville Township. Testimony at an inquest last year indicated that Sonnier tried to run down police officers H. Dennis Field, Autumn Fike, Josh Mrosko and Mark Costello on a narrow dirt trail. The officers were on foot and Sonnier was in a full-size truck on the trail, testimony has indicated.

Fike and Field, both veteran officers, fired shots at the truck, according to testimony. One shot hit Sonnier in his left upper back, and he died of blood loss when major veins in his upper chest were hit.

A panel of coroner’s jurors who heard testimony during an inquest cleared all four officers of responsibility, but Sonnier’s father filed a lawsuit against all of them in January 2005.

While the lawsuit claimed that Sonnier tried to avoid the officers, a state police investigation concluded that there was nowhere for Fike and Field to go as Sonnier headed toward them.

The lawsuit also claimed that police roughed up Sonnier after he was shot, and let him lie on the ground, dying, instead of calling for help.

A second expert report, authored by Dr. Bartley P. Griffith, found that the wounds from the .45-caliber bullet “were not survivable in the context of his rural location.”

While Griffith acknowledged that medical treatment at a trauma center within 10 or 15 minutes of the shot might have saved Sonnier, he still indicated that survival was unlikely.

Those reports filed on behalf of Field and Mrosko, both Redstone Township police officers at the time. Reports from attorneys for Fike, a former Brownsville officer and Costello, a Centerville officer, are due soon.