A 25-year-old Braddock woman is facing multiple charges, including two felony counts of aggravated assault, after security screeners at Pittsburgh's Rib Fest discovered she was carrying a registered firearm and she allegedly fought with officers trying to remove her from the event. Jalaya Monet Sudduth was taken into custody Saturday night at Gate B of Acrisure Stadium, where the altercation escalated from a routine security stop into a physical struggle with police.
According to WPXI, security discovered the firearm as Sudduth passed through metal detectors, and police advised her to leave it in her vehicle. She was told she could not enter the private event, but continued toward it anyway, according to the outlet's report. Pittsburgh police officers working an off-duty detail at the festival that night were the ones who responded after stadium staff alerted them to an intoxicated, disorderly woman at Gate B.
Gate B sits along Art Rooney Avenue on the stadium's south/northeast side and functions as one of the main pedestrian entry points during North Shore events, housing Guest Services, the box office, and entry to the Steelers Pro Shop and Hall of Honor Museum. It's also where Acrisure Stadium's security screening funnels visitors through metal detectors and a clear bag policy that limits non-clear bags to small clutches no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches, according to Visit Pittsburgh. The venue's guest safety policy bars all weapons from entering, regardless of whether a visitor holds a valid concealed carry permit.
According to the City of Pittsburgh, North Shore Riverfront Park includes biking and walking trails, riverfront access and public art near the stadium district. A City of Pittsburgh council page says the North Shore is home to the City's professional football and baseball stadiums, Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park, along with other attractions.
Confrontation Turns Physical Near the Exit
As officers escorted her toward the exit, Sudduth became increasingly disruptive, yelling obscenities and throwing her belongings, per the WPXI report. She allegedly resisted officers, kicked one in the legs, and spat on another officer's legs during the struggle. An officer eventually forced her to the ground, and after being handcuffed, she slipped one wrist free and stood back up before officers regained control.
During the encounter, Sudduth claimed she was having seizures, the outlet reports. Medics took her to the hospital for evaluation, and she was later discharged before being taken to Allegheny County Jail.
Charges Carry Serious Weight Under State Law
Sudduth is charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault, along with defiant trespass, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness, according to the WPXI report. Under Pennsylvania law, causing or attempting to cause bodily injury to a police officer performing official duties is classified as a second-degree felony carrying up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine, per 18 Pa.C.S. § 2702(a)(3) as outlined by FindLaw. That charge applies regardless of whether the officer suffered serious injuries.
The defiant trespass charge requires proof that Sudduth received explicit notice or verbal orders from stadium representatives or police that she wasn't permitted on the premises, a standard laid out under 18 Pa.C.S. § 3503 by PALawHELP.org. Disorderly conduct, meanwhile, can be graded as a third-degree misdemeanor carrying up to 90 days in jail when a person intends to cause public alarm or persists after being asked to stop, according to Justia Law's summary of 18 Pa.C.S. § 5503. Off-duty Pittsburgh police officers working secondary details at stadium events hold full law enforcement authority to enforce these statutes and make arrests, per the City of Pittsburgh.
Festivalgoers Say the Screening Process Felt Routine
Not everyone at the North Shore festival encountered drama at the gate. Claire Fischer, who attended Rib Fest for the first time Monday, said security checks at the event were easy. Another attendee, Jonathan Gesaman, reacted to news of the gun incident by saying, “You've got to be kidding me. Why on earth would anyone want to bring a gun into a place like this?”
The 2026 Acrisure Stadium Kickoff and Rib Festival ran from September 3 through Monday as a free-admission Labor Day weekend tradition that draws tens of thousands of visitors to the North Shore, according to TribLIVE. The holiday weekend wasn't without its other disruptions — severe storms Thursday forced festivalgoers to shelter inside the stadium's FedEx Great Hall before conditions cleared for the rest of the weekend.
Not the First Ejection to Turn Violent at Acrisure Stadium
Saturday's arrest echoes a similar case from June 2025, when a Pittsburgh woman was charged with aggravated assault after allegedly fighting with security staff and police during a Monster Jam event at the same venue, also facing a defiant trespass charge. Both incidents involved off-duty officers and private security collaborating on stadium ejections that escalated into physical confrontations and felony charges.
