Greensburg police accuse man of using slur, starting street brawl
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A slur demeaning mentally challenged persons allegedly shouted inside a downtown Greensburg bar early Wednesday triggered a street fight among 20 people, sent a woman to the hospital and led to the arrest of a Scottdale man, city police said.
Tyler J. Griffiths, 24, was being held in the county jail awaiting arraignment on multiple criminal charges, including aggravated harassment by a prisoner, harassment, criminal mischief, public drunkenness, resisting arrest and simple assault after the 12:15 a.m. brawl on the 100 block of West Pittsburgh Street.
Patrolman Frank Tempo reported police were dispatched to the area for a report of about 20 people involved in an altercation outside of Hugo’s Taproom. When he arrived, Tempo said, multiple witnesses approached him to report that a man who allegedly assaulted two women outside the bar just fled the scene in a 2017 white Volkswagen Jetta.
Witnesses said the brawl began when Griffiths used a slur referring to mentally challenged persons and a woman “who works with people who suffer mental health problems …. asked Griffiths to stop,” Tempo wrote in court papers.
“Griffiths became enraged and yelled for everyone to come outside and do something about it,” Tempo continued.
One woman told police that “Griffiths struck her three times in the face with a closed fist before slamming her head into the business’ window outside.”
“At this time, Griffiths picked (the victim) up and body slammed her on to the ground,” Tempo wrote.
The woman, who Tempo said had a visible head injury, said she lost consciousness. She was taken by ambulance to AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville for treatment.
Another female who was in the bar said when she went to the woman’s aid, Griffiths punched her multiple times. Others in the bar rushed outside to defend the woman, witnesses told police.
Police were able locate the car Griffiths was in, heading southbound on South Main Street, and took him into custody. Officers say he resisted arrest as he was taken into custody and, while in a holding cell at the police station, threw toilet water at officers.
According to online court dockets, Griffiths has a preliminary hearing next week on charges of disorderly conduct, harassment and simple assault filed by state troopers following an altercation in Youngwood on Jan. 30.