Sisters beaten during fight at Pittsburgh gas station speak out day after surveillance released

PITTSBURGH — The sisters who were beaten at a Pittsburgh gas station during a fight, which led to charges being filed against three men, spoke out Friday alongside their attorney.

Jamila and Ashia Regan shared their side of the story a day after surveillance video was released from inside the Exxon gas station at the corner of Brighton Road and Marshall Avenue.

“We weren't looking for no trouble. We weren't looking for no problems, and now this is something we're going to have to deal with probably the rest of our lives because we live right on the North Side, close to the gas station,” Ashia Regan said.

Their attorney, Todd Hollis, called the fight a "savage brutalization" by men who he claims have violent tendencies.

"When you look at this court summary and you look at the backgrounds of the two individuals that were involved in this, then you get an idea of the type of men that these individuals are," Hollis said.

The surveillance video released Thursday from the Sept. 20 fight appears to show one of the women knocking down a display inside the store and several men grabbing her before her sister comes into view and fighting continues. Another video clip, which was released by the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, shows an argument and fighting outside the gas station.

The release of the video came as the attorney for two of the men charged spoke out Thursday. Defense attorney David Shrager said both men are gas station employees and they have been suspended without pay.

All three men -- Scott Hill, Balkar Singh and Sukhjinder Sadhra -- face charges of simple assault. However, there have been calls for tougher charges.

Court documents show Hill pled guilty in the past to charges, including simple assault and disorderly conduct.

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Shrager said his clients, Singh and Sadhra, have never been in trouble with the law and that the incident escalated to a level it should not have.

On Wednesday, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala said he is standing by the charges filed against the men involved in the violent fight.

Zappala said that after reviewing video and evidence from the Exxon gas station, the fight did not rise to the level of aggravated assault. He said he believes simple assault charges are appropriate.

>>PREVIOUS STORY: Police release new details surrounding viral fight at Pittsburgh gas station

The fight, video of which went viral, led to three days of protests.

According to the criminal complaint, the incident started with an argument over spilled gas Friday evening.

The women told police they were trying to pump gas into their car when the pump began to malfunction, spilling gas onto the ground. According to police, they then tried to get a refund for what they claimed was $17 worth of spilled gas. The owners refused, and the argument turned physical.

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On Thursday, the company that owns the land where the gas station is located said it is terminating the lease.

LGP Realty Holdings LP said in a statement it decided to terminate the lease following the results of the police investigation. Below is the full statement:

"LGP Realty Holdings LP (LGPRH) is the owner of the land and assets of the gas station on 2510 Brighton Road in Pittsburgh. We are not the operator of the gas station.

"Following the results of the police investigation, we have decided to terminate the lease of the independent operator located at 2510 Brighton Road in Pittsburgh, PA, effective today.

"We have immediately started working to find a new operator for the location who can serve the community's needs."

Cox Media Group