Butler man charged in attack, damage at rally
A Butler man has been arrested for allegedly attacking a broadcast news cameraman, damaging a Pittsburgh Police vehicle and other actions during a Black Lives Matter rally last month.
Jordan M. Erdos, 20, was arraigned Friday for aggravated assault and rioting, both felonies, and misdemeanor charges of recklessly endangering another person and disorderly conduct for his alleged actions at the rally, according to court records.
Erdos' arrest Thursday was the result of a joint police effort in the Butler area that included agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the newly created Pittsburgh-run Damage Assessment Accountability Task Force, according to a Pittsburgh police complaint. The task force was created with the intention of finding people who turned violent during the rally in downtown Pittsburgh.
Erdos is being held in Allegheny County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond.
Protests formed in cities across the country after George Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minneapolis.
Similar protests took place over several days in Pittsburgh, where a reported tens of thousands of people marched, calling for changes to policing procedures. According to police, the protests May 30 were mostly peaceful, but at times turned violent, as demonstrated in the charges against Erdos.
According to police, Erdos was seen in videos punching and kicking the cameraman and the police vehicle. Using surveillance videos, social media and a tip line, police believe Erdos participated in the two incidents. Police accused Erdos of punching and kicking the cameraman in the head. In addition to the two incidents, police accuse Erdos of breaking a window at a liquor store.
FBI agents met with Erdos at his grandparents's home in Butler on Tuesday, according to the report. Police described Erdos as “gracious.”
The report continues that “He stated that he had seen himself in the media and had heard that law enforcement (was) wanting to speak with him.”
According to the report, Erdos told police that two friends drove him to Pittsburgh from Butler.
He told authorities he “went to just be part of the protest against the police, but got caught up in the emotions” of the event.
Erdos further told police he didn't damage the police vehicle, which was torched during the protest, nor did he “hurt or touch the cameraman.”
Investigating officers claim in the report that Erdos gave them a false narrative of the protest.
They reminded Erdos that lying to the FBI is a federal offense, and Erdos then revised his statement, according to authorities.
He told police he kicked the car “a couple of times” and that other people lit the car on fire.
“I bruised my knuckles when I tried to punch and break the headlight ... it wouldn't break,” he told police.
When asked why he hit the car, police said in the complaint that Erdos told investigators, “I feel like we were trying to make a statement ... I was just thinking, 'Now people are going to pay attention and that we would really be on the news.'”
Regarding the cameraman, Erdos said he “ran up to him and tried to kick him, but I think I missed ... I tried to kick him in the chest or stomach.” When police asked him why he attacked an “innocent person,” Erdos allegedly said the man was trying to film the police car being damaged.
