Pittsburgh Police disperse 400 disorderly juveniles in East Liberty, officials say

PITTSBURGH — Police dispersed an enormous crowd of teens in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood Wednesday, officials say.

According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, officers were called to Liberty Green Park at 7:50 p.m. for an estimated 400 juveniles fighting and being disorderly.

A supervisor saw the crowd and called for backup from officers across the city.

Police reportedly ordered the crowd to disperse three times over a PA system, without success.

A nearby Target store was placed on lockdown to keep the group from entering.

At 8:29 p.m., officials say, police were permitted to use pepper spray. Three officers used it, and the juveniles began to flee.

Only 25 kids remained on the Port Authority busway by 10:15 p.m.

Officials said no one was arrested.

Khari Mosley, who represents District 9 on Pittsburgh City Council, issued this statement about the incident:

“Last night, I was briefed at length on the incident in East Liberty involving a large gathering of teens that required a significant response from local law enforcement. I spoke to Zone 5 Commander Lance Hoyson and Assistant Public Safety Director Cornell Jones.

“As our public safety bureau conducts its investigation, we know that the flash crowd disturbance was organized online, involved teens from numerous municipalities across Allegheny County, and appears to have involved very few young people from the immediate area.

“This morning, we will receive additional updates and touch base with our community partners as we prepare to launch our community health, wellness, and safety street team next weekend to prevent these incidents in the future and keep our communities safe this summer and beyond. We will keep the public informed as more information is gathered.”

Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor also spoke about the issue.

“We’re seeing these types of takeovers all over the country,” O’Connor said. “I got texts from neighbors that were there at the playground with their grandkids. They’re like, ‘What happens here?’”

He added that he wants to see youth programs get involved.

“There’s still a lot of work to happen, and we know that, so providing kids with safe spaces, providing them with opportunity, is one thing - but also making sure we have accountability in the future as well,” O’Connor said.

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