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Man hospitalized and arrested after attack in downtown Pittsburgh

Theo

YOU JUST HAVE TO WATCH. THIS IS THE SUSPECT, 24-YEAR-OLD JAMIL HUFF. POLICE SAY THEY WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY HIM AS THE SUSPECT THROUGH SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE THAT RECORDED THE ATTACK, AND HE WAS TAKEN INTO CURTAIN SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. IN A STATEMENT BY JAN LEVINSON, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE JEWISH FEDERATION, HE CONFIRMED HE WAS THE VICTIM OF THIS ATTACK. HE SAID HE WAS ATTACKED BY A PERSON WITH KNOWN MENTAL ISSUES AND THIS WAS NOT AN ANTISEMITISM INCIDENT. PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR SEAN BROCCO SAID HE WAS FINE TODAY AFTER SUFFERING INJURIES TO HIS FACE AND FALLING TO THE GROUND, BUT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. SHE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC WAS AWARE THAT THIS ATTACK WAS NOT A TARGETED ANTI-SEMITISM ATTACK. AS LEVINSON SAID. WE WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH EARLY THROUGH THE POLICE THAT IT WAS NOT RELATED TO ANTI-SEMITISM, BUT DUE TO CURRENT EVENTS AND THE HEIGHTENED THREAT TIME WE ARE IN, PEOPLE ARE CHANGED AND THAT’S UNDERSTANDABLE. IF WE CAN RULE THAT OUT, LOOK, IT’S NOT GOOD THAT IT HAPPENED, BUT AT LEAST WE KNOW IT WASN’T DIRECTED AGAINST HIM BECAUSE HE’S JEWISH OR IN ANY WAY CONCERNING THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. AND THE MAYOR’S OFFICE RELEASED A STATEMENT TONIGHT EXPRESSING PROUDNESS OF THE QUICK RESPONSE OF THE POLICE IN ARRESTING THE SUSPECT AND THE EMS IN CARING FOR THE VICTIM. LIVE COVERAGE

73-year-old man attacked in downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday afternoon; suspect in custody

A man was arrested after police say he attacked an elderly man in downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

A man was arrested after police said he attacked a 73-year-old man in downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Jameel Huff, 24, is charged with aggravated assault after allegedly tackling the man on Fourth Avenue, chasing him and then punching him in the head. Police were able to identify him as a suspect based on surveillance footage that documented the attack. He was arrested shortly afterward and is in the Allegheny County Jail. “It’s not safe down here anymore. You don’t feel like you want to come here without at least a group of people. In the evenings and even on your lunch break, you don’t want to walk far. There’s just a lot of craziness happening down here,” Laura Canavan said. In a statement, Jan Levinson, chair of the board of directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, confirmed he was the victim of the attack. “Yesterday I was attacked in downtown Pittsburgh by an individual with known mental health issues. This was not an anti-Semitic incident. First responders, including police and emergency services, responded to this attack quickly and professionally. “As the city government tries to encourage more people to live downtown, I urge them to ensure that downtown remains safe so we can better protect the people who live there,” Levinson said. Shawn Brokos, the Jewish Federation’s director of public safety, said the man is OK after suffering injuries to his face and falling to the ground, but he is concerned about safety downtown. Brokos wanted to make sure the public knows this attack was not a targeted anti-Semitic attack, Levinson said in his statement. “We were able to determine early on through police that it had nothing to do with anti-Semitism, but given current events and the heightened threat level, people are understandably concerned. So if we can rule out — look, it’s not great that it happened, but at least we know it wasn’t directed at him because he’s Jewish or in any way part of the Jewish community,” Brokos said. “We wish the victim a speedy recovery from his injuries. “We are proud of the Pittsburgh Police Department’s quick response in arresting the person responsible and the quick care provided to the victim by emergency medical services. The safety of all residents is our highest priority and that is reflected in the establishment of the Downtown Public Safety Center as well as the officers who patrol downtown. We are committed to taking the necessary steps to make downtown a place where everyone who works, plays or lives downtown feels safe and welcome,” said Olga George, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Gainey.

PITTSBURGH —

A man was arrested after police said he attacked a 73-year-old man in downtown Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

According to police, 24-year-old Jameel Huff is charged with aggravated assault after allegedly accosting the man on Fourth Avenue, chasing him and then hitting him on the head.

Police were able to identify him as a suspect based on surveillance footage of the attack. He was arrested shortly afterward and is being held in the Allegheny County Jail.

“It’s not safe down here anymore. You don’t feel like you want to go here without at least a group of people with you. In the evenings and even at lunchtime, you don’t want to walk far. There’s just a lot of craziness going on down here,” said Laura Canavan.

In a statement, Jan Levinson, chairman of the board of directors of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, confirmed that he was a victim of the attack.

“Yesterday, I was attacked in downtown Pittsburgh by an individual with known mental health issues. This was not an anti-Semitic incident. First responders, including police and emergency services, responded to this attack quickly and professionally. As the City Council seeks to encourage more people to live downtown, I urge them to ensure that downtown remains safe so we can better protect the people who live there,” Levinson said.

Shawn Brokos, the Jewish Federation’s public safety director, said the man was OK despite suffering facial injuries and falling to the ground, but he was concerned about safety in the downtown area.

Brokos wanted to make sure the public was aware that this attack was not a targeted anti-Semitic attack, Levinson said in his statement.

“We were able to establish early on through the police that there was no connection to anti-Semitism, but given current events and the heightened threat level, people are understandably concerned. So if we can rule out that it’s not great that it happened, at least we know that it wasn’t directed against him because he’s Jewish or against the Jewish community in any way,” Brokos said.

“We wish the victim a speedy recovery from his injuries. We are proud of the Pittsburgh Police Department’s quick response in arresting the person responsible and the rapid care provided to the victim by emergency medical services. The safety of all residents is our highest priority and that is reflected in the establishment of the Downtown Public Safety Center and the officers patrolling downtown. We are committed to taking the necessary actions to make downtown a place where everyone who works, plays or lives downtown feels safe and welcome,” said Olga George, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ed Gainey.

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