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Police arrested 11 people Monday night during a protest-turned-riot outside the Allegheny County Jail on Second Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh, authorities said.
Jail employees called 911 shortly before 8 p.m. to report that the group of 20 to 25 protesters had turned disorderly — setting off firecrackers, banging sticks and metal pipes, and breaking several jail windows, Public Safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler said.
Two bicycle officers — who Toler did not identify — arrived on scene first and ordered the group to stop, at which point the protesters fled in different directions. One officer encountered Tyler James Kobel, 25, of Altoona, and attempted to arrest him, Toler said.
Kobel struggled, and another protester hit the officer in the back, Toler said. Kobel and the officer fell to the ground, and the officer pulled his Taser, and Kobel stopped resisting, Toler said.
The officer later was examined because of a shoulder injury.
James Patrick Griffin, 25, charged toward the second officer, and the two scuffled, Toler said. A third officer arrived and arrested Griffin.
All 11 people arrested were apprehended along Second Avenue and the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, which runs behind the jail, and were found to be carrying drugs and weapons. Police said Griffin was carrying mace, marijuana, weighted gloves, a legal loaded 9-mm pistol, brass knuckles and a pocket knife, and his right boot had metal spikes on the laces.
Individual charges were not yet available Tuesday afternoon.
According to police, those arrested were: Kobel; Griffin; Blanca Chaves-Alvarez, 29; Nicholas Baynes Hodgson, 36; Anthony Michael Ambroso, 26; Liam Scott Swanson, 25; Thomas B. stiller, Jr. 26; Joshua Shande Szymanski, 22; Ian Matthew Greynolds, 22; Raina Christine Legrand, 23; and Morgan Lindsey Prescott, 22.
Charges include disorderly conduct, possessing instruments of crime, causing/risking a catastrophe, criminal conspiracy, criminal mischief, institutional vandalism, aggravated assault, possessing a small amount of marijuana, possessing prohibited offensive weapons and resisting arrest.
Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-8519 or mguza@tribweb.com.
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