Avalon Officer Charged In Rowdy Brawl Outside Bar After Pirates' Home Opener
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- An Avalon police officer is facing charges in connection with a fight that broke out on the North Shore after last week's Pirates' Home Opener.
The officer, who was off-duty at the time of the incident, was one of a number of people involved in the scuffle outside of McFadden's bar last Friday just after 6 p.m.
Avalon Police Officer Chris Rossetti is now charged with resisting arrest, public intoxication and disorderly conduct. He's also been suspended.
"He does regret the whole incident. Nobody would want to be involved in something like that," said Avalon Police Chief Tom Kokoski.
The chief took immediate action, telling Rossetti to take a week off without pay. Chief Kokoski says the video left him floored.
"I seen one of my guys actively getting arrested; of course I was shocked," said Chief Kokoski.
The chief says his officer is telling a different story. Chief Kokoski says Rossetti told him that he was actually assaulted inside McFadden's, and he was wrongfully arrested.
The chief says Rossetti brought him surveillance video, which shows what appears to be a woman punching Rossetti in the side of the face.
"It clearly shows one of my officers actually getting assaulted from an alleged ex-girlfriend and he was removed from the bar and the public seen the rest of it, what happened after that," said Chief Kokoski.
The chief says he will now let the courts decide, and will not further punish the officer at this time.
"I'm not the judge nor the jury. We're going to let it ride," Chief Kokoski said.
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Meanwhile, another incident happened a few minutes after police arrested Rossetti.
A Pittsburgh Police officer accused a man described as Rossetti's relative of clenching his fist and moving toward him. The man was thrown to the ground.
Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Shubert even got involved, but the man was not arrested.
Rossetti is 25-years-old and has been with the Avalon Police Department for a little over a year.
