Pittsburgh’s police department has a new police commander, one that Deadheads may actually remember from 18 years ago.

Does the name George Trosky ring a bell?

No? OK, think back to the “riot” show — April 3, 1989, when a bunch of tickletless dumbasses tried to break through glass doors at the Civic Arena to get inside, and were met by a bunch of dumbass Pittsburgh cops, who took great delight in beating down whatever Deadheads they could. You might not remember many of the specifics, but you probably will remember the video of the city cop cold-cocking a handcuffed kid before tossing him in a paddy wagon.

That cop, boys and girls, was George Trosky.

The newly-minted Commander Trosky has had some other difficulties in the past. He was accused of punching his wife, and breaking her nose; there also was a drunken-driving charge. Neither of those beauties went anywhere — the DUI charge was dropped — because his blood-alcohol test was deemed inadmissable –and the assault charge was dismissed when his wife failed to show up for the preliminary hearing.

The videotaped beating of a handcuffed Deadhead didn’t have a bearing on Trosky’s career either, at least not directly. A hearing board found him not guilty of using excessive force; the city did use copies of the video to convince lawmakers to reform police hearing board policies.

By all accounts (the PG’s here, the Trib’s, in a column, here), Trosky has been an excellent cop — numerous citations for good work, a high case-clearance rate as a homicide detective — and that, apparently, was enough to convince The Boy Wonder that he’d make a good commander. And if you read the Trib column, it was also apparently enough for Jerry Garcia to select Trosky as his personal bodyguard when the band made its final Pittsburgh appearance, at Three Rivers in 1995 (although I should admit this is the first time I’ve heard this … and Uncle Crappy is a little dubious, boys and girls).

But, jesus, am I the only one uncomfortable with this? The thing with his now ex-wife happened, but was dismissed on a technicality. And there’s no question that punching a handcuffed suspect — Deadhead or not — isn’t something they teach you at Police Academy. Is he really fit to hold the position he was given today? I hope he is — but I wonder how long it will be before we find out differently.