PITTSBURGH — The three men previously charged with beating two sisters in a viral video at a Pittsburgh gas station avoided a more serious sentence possible despite being found guilty of harassment.
“Slapping them in the head. Punching them in the face. Three grown men on two young women over $17. It was horrific," said the victim’s attorney Todd Hollis.
[ PREVIOUS STORY: Police release new details surrounding viral fight at Pittsburgh gas station ]
The two owners at the North Side Exxon gas station -- Balkar Singh and Sukhjinder Sadhra -- along with a third employee, Scott Hill, all were found guilty of a reduced count of harassment Tuesday following a bench trial. The summary count carries with it a $300 fine and court costs.
On Sept. 20, 2019, police said the incident started with an argument over $17 worth of spilled gas at the Exxon on the corner of Brighton Road and Marshall Avenue. The fight that ensued was recorded on cameras and sparked protests that lasted for three days.
The three men and sisters, Jamila and Ashia Regan, both told police different sides of the story, but the owners and one employee were the only ones facing charges.
One video recorded by a witness showed the men who own the gas station repeatedly hitting one of the women in the back of the head while another man grabbed the other woman by her hair and dragged her across the pavement, police said.
The gas station’s security cameras inside the store show the women initiating the argument, while the sisters told Channel 11 employees pushed them first, which started the fight.
According to our partners at the Trib, the defense argued that the women weren’t the real victims and started the whole altercation.
The attorney for both women say the fight is not over.
“We plan on pursuing the matter civilly," Hollis said. “We’re certainly going to move forward in our claims against the corporation as well as the individuals that were in court today."
Leaders in the community want justice.
It’s absolutely ridiculous that the punishment in which they received. Assault is assault," said Pennsylvania State NAACP President Kenneth Huston.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE VIRAL FIGHT
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