Leon Ford, a survivor of a police shooting in Pittsburgh in 2012, will share his story of survival, forgiveness and activism at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Thursday evening.

Ford’s talk will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Harriett B. Wick Chapel, and is supported by a University of Pittsburgh Year of Diversity Grant. The talk, which is free and open to the public, is co-sponsored by the Pitt-Bradford Criminal Justice Program, Prison Education Program and African-American Student Union.

“Leon will share his story of surviving police brutality and his own personal wisdom of living life to the fullest,” said Dr. Tony Gaskew, associate professor of criminal justice.

Ford was shot and paralyzed during a traffic stop. He would later be charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, escape and reckless endangerment. A jury found Ford not guilty of aggravated assault in 2014, and the remaining charges were dropped by the district attorney the following year.

In addition to his public lecture, Ford will speak to students in the Prison Education Program, a program that teaches incarcerated students at the Federal Correctional Institution-McKean alongside traditional students.

For more information, visit the website www.leonfordspeaks.com.