An altercation that escalated at the South Side establishment, Oddballs led to injuries for a Pittsburgh police officer late Friday night. A scuffle that originally broke out inside moved onto the streets of East Carson Street, where Sergeant Andrew Robinson, in his efforts to mediate the brawl, sustained a broken ankle and leg after being assaulted by a male participant, as reported by CBS News Pittsburgh.
An incident happened in the 1300-1440 block area, and even though one person has been arrested, the reason for the fight inside the bar is still unknown. The police are still investigating and keeping a presence in the area. Although the South Side’s Chamber of Commerce says crime rates are dropping, some residents are still worried about returning to the neighborhood due to ongoing violence. A police officer was also injured in the incident, and not everyone feels that improvements are being made, according to a report by WPXI.
Aaryonna Fontes, a local resident, lamented the situation, stating, "As someone who’s made the choice to not really come down here because of the violence, I would not say I’ve seen it improve," according to her interview, as per WPXI report. At the scene of the scuffle, Oddballs employed numerous security measures, including ID scanning and pat-downs. They reiterated their commitment to safety and cooperation with law enforcement following the incident with one of the bar's owners, Bernie Miklos, expressing sadness over the officer's injuries and a willingness to assist the police further.
The Chamber of Commerce president, Peter Margittai, commented on the effectiveness of the city's weekend patrol teams, saying, "They’ve been doing a really good job communicating with all the business owners, the community members, the different organizations," per WPXI, highlighting the ongoing collaboration aimed at reducing crime in the South Side area.
