https://development.triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/charged-dropped-for-22-protesters-arrested-in-east-liberty-melee/
Charges dropped for 22 protesters arrested in East Liberty melee
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office on Thursday dropped charges against 22 protesters arrested in the aftermath of protests in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood earlier this month.
Office spokesman Mike Manko said none of the charges dropped involved allegations of violence or property damage.
“Until such time as we have evidence that is substantial and relevant, it is not appropriate to move forward with those complaints,” Manko said.
Pittsburgh police and city officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The June 1 protest carried on peacefully for hours. Pittsburgh Police officials said that toward the end, a small group splintered off and began damaging businesses and assaulting a TV news crew. Tear gas and smoke were used to force out the crowd, though questions remain as to how the melee actually began and whether police on the scene were authorized to use tear gas.
Mayor Bill Peduto ordered an investigation into the police tactics used that night, noting on June 3 that “there is a difference of opinion about what happened that day and the appropriateness” of police actions taken.
Manko said preliminary hearings for two people accused of throwing objects at police have been rescheduled at the request of the defense attorneys in the cases. Those charges have not been dropped.
It is the second time the office has uniformly dropped charges against dozens of protesters arrested during Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
On June 8, District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. dropped charges against 39 people arrested in the aftermath of May 30 protests in Downtown Pittsburgh.
Charges against the following people have been withdrawn:
Megan Campbell Janlise Chard Haley Chisler Shawn Green Jr. Burton Kandman Michael Kisner Julia Kotchercat Anna Nelson Simon Phillips Anna Rosati Juliana Rossi Whitney Sigall Lelia Skinner Byron Stevens Regan Tischler Elizabeth Wagner Cody Williamson Jordan Wirick Trent Yates Jennifer YoderCopyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)