Pittsburgh attorney, frustrated with metal detectors, 'dropped his drawers' in court building, official says

A Pittsburgh attorney removed his pants at the entrance of a Downtown court building Wednesday afternoon after becoming frustrated when his suspenders repeatedly set off metal detectors, according to the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office.

Jeffrey Pollock, 59, was on his way to a hearing in the family court division when he set off the metal detectors at the entrance, said Cmdr. Leo O’Neill.

The machine continued to alert each time Pollock walked through, O’Neill said. Pollock explained that it was his suspenders, which he could not take off, but building guards asked him to continue walking through the metal detector until the alerts stopped.

After a heated exchange, O’Neill said, Pollock “unhooked his suspenders, dropped his drawers, took them off, and placed them in the bin to go through the metal detector.”

This left Pollock “standing in the middle of the Family Division rotunda wearing only his shirt and underwear,” O’Neill said.

Building guards alerted sheriff’s deputies to the scene, and O’Neill said Pollock was ultimately charged with disorderly conduct. Court records were not immediately available.

Pollock, in telling his side of the kerfuffle, said he was embarrassed by the incident, which he called out of character for him.

“I hope one act in poor judgment won’t sully a 59-year track record of being an upstanding member of the community,” he said.

Pollock said this was not the first time he’d been in this type of frustrating situation. For years, he said, the same security guard has hassled him about his suspenders in what Pollock called a rude and disrespectful manner. He said the guard has always refused to use the metal detecting wand on him, as is common when someone continually sets off the walk-through metal detectors.

“The purpose of the wand is common sense,” he said, noting that he has always followed the rules when going through security: removing his coat, his keys, pocket change and his shoes if they were an issue.

“I’m not special,” he said. “I follow the rules like everyone else. I’ve always just asked for respect.”

Today, Pollock said, the same security guard “got in my personal space” and demanded that he take off his suspenders or leave. Pollock said he was frustrated and did not want to be late for his pro bono work representing people in the family court.

“I had a brain cramp, a brain fart, whatever you want to call it” and took off his pants, Pollock said.

Pollock said he was speechless when a deputy put him in handcuffs.

“I used poor judgment,” he said. “I was trying to make a point.”