Man Who Pinned Down Teenage Boy At Playground Is A Pittsburgh Firefighter

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - When police responded to the call at a playground near Saline Street in Greenfield, they found a teenage boy who had been pinned down on playground equipment by a 46-year old man.

"I'm 13, he's on top of me," the boy cries in a cell phone video taken by his sister. "He's a grown man."

KDKA has since learned that the grown man in this cell phone video is Pittsburgh City Firefighter Thomas D'Andrea.

It all started when D'Andrea saw the teenager looking at a construction truck. The boy reportedly sat inside the truck.

D'Andrea believed the teen was vandalizing the truck, which D'Andrea didn't own.

He said he called police several times but got no response.

That's when he took it upon himself to pin the juvenile down until police arrived.

"Can you please get off my brother?" his sister pleads.

"I can't until the police get here," D'Andrea replies.

"His mouth is bleeding, he has asthma, please get off my brother," she shouts.

The boy admitted he took a swing at D'Andrea, hitting him in self-defense, after he dodged a punch thrown by D'Andrea.

Police did not witness the alleged assault, but they determined that D'Andrea was the aggressor.

He was told not to go back to playground.

The D.A. later approved these charges.