Pittsburgh police detail response to large Fourth of July crowd on South Side; Citizen Police Review Board to launch inquiry
Pittsburgh police are providing details of their response to a "large and unruly" Fourth of July crowd on the South Side after the city's Citizen Police Review Board announced it would launch an inquiry.
Two police officers were injured after a man threw a lit firework at them, leaving them with slight or small burns, according to a criminal complaint for a man accused of throwing the fireworks. A police statement said the officers had "eye irritation." Another officer was hit with a rock, police said.
Police vehicles were also targeted with projectiles, police said.
It was only then that police deployed pepper spray and inert/vapor smoke, according to a statement from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
Beth Pittinger, the executive director of the Citizen Police Review Board, said there were allegations that the police response was "over the top."
Such allegations include that police used gas, that there was a declaration of an unlawful assembly, that a police line formed, that the situation escalated to become chaotic, and that pepper spray and vapor were deployed without first warning people in the crowd or officers.
"The question that we've heard was whether or not the officers were prepared to respond to such a situation," Pittinger said. "We're not accusing anyone or accusing the police of doing something inappropriate. We're just trying to establish the facts so we can dispel the rumors that are out there."
Pittsburgh police had a pre-established operational plan and only dispersed the crowd after multiple warnings were given, Pittsburgh Public Safety said in a statement on Sunday.
"We would like to see that plan," Pittinger said.
Police began to disperse the crowd around 1 a.m. on July 5.
It was as they were dispersing the crowd that people began throwing projectiles at officers, they said. Lit fireworks were launched at both officers and police vehicles. One of the fireworks was an illegal M-80, according to the criminal complaint.
Both officers who were injured declined medical attention, police said.
Part of Pittinger's focus has been on whether police should have deployed the pepper spray and vapor smoke.
"We want to be sure that the cause was there and present, that the threat was present at the time that that was deployed. Smoke and pepper spray are noxious agents, and you have to have a reason for doing it," Pittinger said. "You can't have a threat present and then 20 minutes [later] react to it with a use of force."
A Pittsburgh Public Safety spokesperson told KDKA-TV that spray and smoke were used after a firework struck one of the officers, but that it was not immediately used directly on the man who threw the firework.
Pepper spray was used on a different man who was aggressive toward law enforcement, police added.
The smoke was used to disperse the crowd.
Pittinger wants to know how much warning the crowd was given. For the officer's protection, she also questions if enough force was used.
"I think that if a projectile is being thrown and fireworks are being thrown at police officers, that the use of pepper spray would be ineffective, and it would be an under-use of force," she said.
In the inquiry, she said they are also looking more broadly at how police are preparing to solve and anticipate problems on the South Side. The large crowds have been a frequent problem, one that Pittinger said is escalating.
In total, six people were arrested as of Saturday morning.
Delricco White, 20, of Duquesne, was arrested after he was observed throwing fireworks at police. White is charged with aggravated assault, possessing instruments of a crime, recklessly endangering another person, propulsion of missiles, evading arrest on foot and disorderly conduct.
Kyliek McCracken, 18, of Ambridge, was also taken into custody after he was observed fleeing with White. He is facing charges of criminal conspiracy, disorderly conduct and evading arrest.
Ronald Pelton, 23, of McKees Rocks, was charged with discharging a firearm, reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and possession of a weapon.
Officers made three other arrests and issued seven non-traffic citations. Two additional firearms were also recovered.
The majority of the crowd was under 21, according to a criminal complaint.
Pittinger said she plans to move forward with the inquiry, saying it is their job to verify what police are saying.
South Side sees increase in late-night incidents
Pittsburgh police have been called to an increasing number of similar incidents on the South Side.
East Carson Street filled up with another unruly crowd of 1,500 to 2,000 people in late June, prompting Pittsburgh police to call in assistance from neighboring law enforcement agencies.
Following that incident, officers needed to deploy pepper spray to break up a large fight on East Carson Street.
In the wake of these incidents, the police union recently said the staffing situation is unprecedented.
