PITTSBURGH — Three people jumped into action Wednesday to chase after and tackle a man who was running from police outside the Kuhn’s Market on Banksville Road in Pittsburgh’s Banksville neighborhood.
Their heroics ended an alleged crime spree and police chase.
“I think it’s great,” said Kuhn’s customer Peggy Rothert on Thursday. “They did the right thing and they helped the police. The police need the help.”
According to the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, the pursuit began Wednesday evening around 8:30 when a deputy tried to pull over a man, later identified as Tyler Stewart, for reckless driving in Pittsburgh’s Beltzhoover neighborhood near the intersection of Bausman and Bernd Streets.
Investigators say Stewart then took off leading the deputy and Pittsburgh Police backup down Route 51/Saw Mill Run Boulevard and then down Banksville Road before surveillance video captured him slamming into an Audi sedan at the intersection with McMonagle Avenue.
“He was speeding down Banksville, clearly reckless driving. When he got to the intersection, he ran a red light and pretty much T-boned, but hit the front of the car thankfully, T-boned the car right in the middle of the intersection,” said Kuhn’s manager Phil C., who was working Wednesday night.
According to the sheriff’s office, Stewart took off running through the nearby Rite Aid parking lot, through a yard, then across Banksville Road and into the Kuhn’s Market parking lot where he’s seen on surveillance video trying to carjack an elderly couple.
That’s when three bystanders sprang into action, chasing him across the street and tackling him.
“Three completely unrelated people who had nothing to do with each other all saw something going wrong and all three of them decided to take action. Heroic’s a good word. That was pretty impressive,” Phil said.
Officers and deputies arrested Stewart, who they say was wearing body armor and a handgun, a rifle, a ski mask, and six sets of car keys inside his car.
“I’m sure he’ll get whatever’s coming to him with the law. My prayers go out to whoever was in the car. I hope he recovers. That was scary,” Phil said.
The man in the car that was hit suffered a broken shoulder and broken pelvis but is expected to be okay.
First off, I am thankful that the person injured as the result of this reckless and criminal conduct did not sustain life threatening injuries, and we hope for a quick recovery,” Sheriff Kevin Kraus said in a release. “While we can’t say with any certainty what this individual’s intentions were last night, it’s clear from the way he was outfitted and from the items recovered from the car, that he is an extremely dangerous person who posed a significant threat to the safety of our community.”
Stewart was taken to the Allegheny County Jail and is facing more than a dozen chargers, in addition to detainers on active bench warrants from Allegheny, Butler and Westmoreland Counties.
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