Firefighter Among People Charged In Bar Fight
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh police have charged several men with assault after a fight at a bar, among them are an Allegheny County corrections officer and a Pittsburgh firefighter.
He is at least the 10th city firefighter to be arrested in the last several months. The charges were filed Friday; although, the incident happened in late February.
Police have been investigating the case for several weeks and wouldn't comment because there may be more charges yet to come.
Back on Feb. 27 at 1:30 a.m. in the Hideout Bar on Bates Street in Oakland, a man named Jeff Morgan says he went to say hello to another man and touched his vest.
The man was a member of the Law Dogs Motorcycle Club, and fellow members apparently interpreted touching his clothing as a sign of disrespect. The Law Dogs are a motorcycle club of those associated with law enforcement.
According to the criminal complaint, Morgan says he was allegedly struck in the back of the head by Anthony Berger with a fifth-sized bottle. Berger is a corrections officer in Allegheny County.
The complaint continues on to report that Marty Ryan began to punch him in the back of the head.
Morgan reported that he was struck several more times by Mike Terlecki, and Mike Kelly is accused of pulling Morgan's shirt over his head and punching him repeatedly in the head.
Kelly is a Pittsburgh firefighter, and has been charged with aggravated assault. He was arraigned and freed without bond.
The criminal complaint goes on to say that Morgan's girlfriend Nicole Murphy attempted to intervene.
She stated that Jeff Corey began to punch her in the head several times and she was struck by Brian Phillips, who according to Murphy has known for some time that she has a brain tumor.
The criminal complaint says she was knocked unconscious and is under the care of a neurologist to see if the assault aggravated her brain tumor.
Morgan suffered a concussion and had to have 60 stitches in his head.
No one answered the door at Kelly or Berger's home today. Pittsburgh Fire Chief Daryl Jones didn't respond to an inquiry made to him on Saturday.
The city says it's tried to fire several of the firefighters involved with serious charges in the recent past, though not always succeeding.
Firefighter Kelly is scheduled to have his preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
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