2 arrested in Downtown after shots fired; officer injured trying to break up fight
A fight Tuesday evening in Market Square injured a Pittsburgh police officer and ultimately led to a teen’s arrest after he allegedly fled from a detective and fired a shot as he ran through a Downtown alley, authorities said.
The series of events started with a fight about 7:20 p.m. at the Five Guys near Market Square, police said. An officer trying to break up the fight among a group of teens suffered a hand injury, and one juvenile was arrested for assaulting an officer.
The injured officer told other police who arrived at the scene that several other young men were allegedly involved in the fight, specifically a teenager wearing a red jacket on a bicycle, according to court paperwork.
A plainclothes officer patrolling the area wrote in the criminal complaint he heard a group of people in front of the 7/11 on Liberty Avenue talking about “how they had beat up that cop.” The detective noted one teen was wearing a red jacket and had a bike.
The detective walked toward the group, according to the complaint, at which point the teen — later identified as 18-year-old Jaysean Randall — took off toward Wood Street. Officers chased Randall onto Sixth Avenue toward Coffey Way, where they heard a gunshot and saw a muzzle flash.
An officer in a marked cruiser eventually cornered Randall in a doorway on Strawberry Way, and authorities said it took several officers to take him into custody.
According to the complaint, officers found a .380-caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number and a baggie of marijuana on Randall.
Randall told officers he ran because he thought there was a warrant out for his arrest, and police said he admitted to firing the gun.
Randall faces more than a dozen charges, including six counts of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and firearms violations. He remained in the Allegheny County Jail Wednesday, unable to post $10,000 bail. Court records did not list an attorney for the teen.