Pittsburgh police say rioters tossed bomb, molotov cocktail during initial protests

Pittsburgh police officers narrowly escaped potentially serious injuries during rioting in Pittsburgh last week when someone tossed what was believed to be a homemade bomb that hit one officer and blew up at the feet of another, city officials said.

The city Public Safety Department on Friday announced the creation of a task force made up of nine federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate the bomb incident and dozens of other violent actions Downtown on May 30 and in East Liberty on Monday, officials said.

Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said police are investigating whether a man charged with hiding a backpack containing three bombs outside a Downtown Building on Sunday is connected to the May 30 bombing.

“We found the bag Monday morning with three items that were very concerning to us,” he said. “Not knowing where this individual was during the day, and trying to identify who it was, we had to take appropriate precautions. That was one of the reasons there was very heavy police presence through East Liberty. There were indications they were going to burn businesses in East Liberty. That’s one of the reasons for the actions of not allowing it to progress Monday night. We had to take quick action.”

Mayor Bill Peduto has called for investigations by the Citizens Police Review Board and the Office of Municipal Investigations into the actions of police Monday. Protesters have complained they were fired on for no reason with rubber bullets and tear gas. The mayor’s office also is seeking a series of police reforms on state and local levels.

Task force members used surveillance video to identify Matthew Michanowicz, 52, of Duquesne Heights as the person with the bomb-filled backpack, according to a criminal complaint. They charged him Thursday with three counts each of possessing weapons of mass destruction and arson. He is being held in the Allegheny County Jail.

Hissrich said police are searching for other suspects involved with looting dozens of city businesses, vandalism and attacks on at least five journalists. He said more arrests are expected. Anyone with information can contact the task force by email at DAAT@pittsburghpa.gov or by phone at 412-323-7800.

The incident May 30 happened on Commonwealth Place between the Omni William Penn Hotel and Mellon Square, officials said.

Someone tossed the bomb and it landed on an officer and became entangled in his ballistic vest. He and another officer quickly swiped it away and it landed at the feet of a third officer where it exploded.

The officer, who was not identified, suffered concussion-like symptoms and hearing loss, according to Robert Swartzwelder, president of Fraternal Order of Police Fort Pitt Lodge 1.

“If that would have gone off on the first officer he would have been at least permanently disfigured, if not killed,” Swartzwelder said.

Swartzwelder said officers reported rioters in the area of Smithfield Street the same night tossed a fire bomb that went over their heads and blew up on the street. He said they also lit the contents of a Dumpster and pushed it into police officers.

Two police cars were set on fire during the May 30 rally.

“This was by far not a peaceful protest,” Swartzwelder said. “This was anarchy and they were going to burn the city to the ground.”

Hissrich said 14 officers were injured and more than 70 businesses damaged during the two protests.

Police Chief Scott Schubert praised his officers, saying they used “tremendous restraint” while dealing with potentially deadly circumstances. He said the city has experienced 10 protest marches and vigils over the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, noting all but two of them were largely peaceful.

”People have a fundamental right to express their First Amendment rights, but when it gets to the point where people are burning businesses, or looting, or harming people, or harming our officers our approach has to be a lot different,” he said. “We don’t like doing that. That’s the last thing we want to do, but we have an obligation to keep people safe and keep businesses and peoples’ homes safe.”