Federal lawsuit accuses Pittsburgh police of using excessive force during George Floyd protest arrest

A McKees Rocks man filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against three unnamed Pittsburgh police officers, as well as the city of Pittsburgh, claiming he was falsely arrested following his participation in a protest over the death of George Floyd last year.

John Connors alleges in the lawsuit filed by Pittsburgh attorney Timothy P. O’Brien that the officers filed false criminal charges against him, including failure to disperse and disorderly conduct.

“The arrest and the criminal charges were not supported by probable cause, and all of the baseless criminal charges brought against Mr. Connors were dismissed,” the lawsuit said.

The complaint said that Connors, who was 33 at the time, was video recording the police response to the George Floyd protests Downtown on May 30, 2020.

“As (Connors) video recorded the police response to the protests, he observed the police engage in abusive tactics, including the unnecessary use of flashbang grenades, chemical agents and the firing of projectiles at peaceful protesters,” the lawsuit said.

Connors, who was wearing a T-shirt that said “Blue Lives Murder,” verbally objected to the police misconduct he saw. At about 5 p.m., as he was recording activities near the Wood Street T Station, the lawsuit said Connors was confronted by several police officers, including members of the SWAT team dressed in riot gear.

“As (Connors) asked one of the officers for clarification of an announced dispersal route, a SWAT team officer — looking directly at (Connors’) T-shirt — threw a canister containing a chemical agent at the plaintiff, striking him in the leg, and then fired a projectile at plaintiff, striking him on the right hip,” the complaint said.

That officer and two other members of the SWAT team then assaulted Connors, threw him to the ground and handcuffed him, the lawsuit alleged.

He was taken to Allegheny County Jail and held for three days until he was able to post bond.

In an affidavit of probable cause charging Connors with two misdemeanor counts, police alleged that he failed to disperse from the intersection of Smithfield Street and the Boulevard of the Allies, the complaint said.

“(Connors) had not been at that location during the entire time that he video recorded the police and was not at that location when he was arrested,” the lawsuit said.

It alleges the charges were filed by the officers so they could justify the unnecessary and excessive use of force used on Connors. The lawsuit, which alleges the officers were acting in accordance with Pittsburgh police custom, policies and procedures, also contains claims for false arrest, malicious prosecution and First Amendment retaliation.

A message left with a city spokeswoman Thursday evening was not immediately returned.