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All but 2 minor charges dropped against Porter

Steelers reinstate assistant coach

PITTSBURGH — All but the two least serious charges will be dropped against Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter stemming from an alleged altercation outside a bar hours after the team’s Sunday playoff win against the Miami Dolphins, a prosecutor announced Thursday.

District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. said that after viewing surveillance video, he decided to drop charges of aggravated assault involving a police officer and a simple assault charge for Porter’s actions Sunday involving a bouncer, as well as charges of resisting arrest and defiant trespass.

“Today our office was able to view surveillance video showing multiple angles of the events that led to the arrest of Steelers coach Joey Porter. Following that review, it is the position of the office that the only charges supported by the video are summary disorderly conduct and summary public drunkenness,” Zappala said.

Those two remaining citations each carry fines up to $500 and 90 days in jail. The aggravated assault charge, the most serious Porter faced, carried the penalty of state prison upon conviction.

Zappala’s spokesman Mike Manko said he couldn’t comment on the video or its source because it was evidence.

Porter’s attorney, Robert Del Greco, said he was meeting with Porter and his wife for the first time when Zappala issued his statement on his Facebook page.

Porter “was heartened and relieve to know the most serious charges against him were all found to be unsupported by the district attorney’s office,” Del Greco said. “He was disappointed in what he thought was a false characterization of him as a person.”

The team reinstated Porter early this morning. He rejoins the team in time for Sunday’s playoff game in Kansas City.

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