Parents and students arrested after street brawls near Pittsburgh

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

(CBS) SWISSVALE, Pa. - Swissvale police are increasing patrols near a school bus stop where two major brawls happened earlier this week, and they say they've been told to expect more violence, CBS Pittsburgh reports..

Cell phone videos shot by students show a crowd of as many as 60 students and parents fighting in the streets of Swissvale, less than 10 miles east of Pittsburgh, on both Monday and Tuesday. Police are still rounding up suspects.

"We've identified right now about 15 people, adults and students, parents of some of the students, and everybody that's been identified by us will be arrested," Police Chief Greg Geppert told the station.

Police say they have already arrested five adults and minors, and are looking for close to a dozen more. The students and parents were reportedly from the Woodland Hills School district. Police from four departments made their presence known at the bus stop where the last brawl took place.

Woodland Hills School Superintendent Alan Johnson says any students involved with the brawls will be suspended and expelled from school if possible. He says he'ss worked hard in the past to change the school district's violent image.

"The students at Woodland Hills High School work together to create a safe and secure environment at that high school where students all feel welcome, safe, wanted and where the focus really is on ... truly on achieving academic excellence. And something like this tarnishes that and it shouldn't," Superintendent Alan Johnson told CBS Pittsburgh.

Meantime, those who witnessed the fights, described as riots by police, in the neighborhood along south Braddock Avenue in Swissvale tell the station they are afraid to even walk to the store.

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