Ex-Officer Pleads Guilty in Walmart Bystander Death

John J. Hawk, a former Center Township police officer, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, assault, and reckless endangerment in connection with the November 2022 death of Kenneth Vinyard, who was trying to provide information to police at a shooting scene outside a Walmart in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Hawk, off-duty and in civilian clothes, confronted and struck Vinyard, then performed a leg-sweep maneuver that caused fatal injuries, an incident recorded on cell phone video. Hawk received five years of probation, with no sentencing agreement between the Attorney General’s office and the defense. Vinyard’s family later settled a civil lawsuit against Hawk and Center Township for nearly $1 million. Attorney General Dave Sunday stressed that Vinyard posed no threat, while the case drew attention to concerns over police accountability and the conduct of off-duty officers. Vinyard's family expressed disappointment that Hawk was not sentenced to prison.