Man Facing Assault Charges After Being Arrested At Pittsburgh Public Schools Administration Building
By: Erika Stanish/KDKA-TV News
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Pittsburgh man is facing felony assault charges following an incident at the Pittsburgh Public Schools Administration building.
According to police paperwork, 40-year-old Kevin McSwiggen is accused of assaulting a Pittsburgh Public Schools police officer.
McSwiggen allegedly became "very loud and disgruntled" after he arrived at the district's administration building and demanded to speak to Interim Superintendent Wayne Walters, despite not having an appointment.
Officers on duty told McSwiggen that Walters was busy but they would be glad to help him, to which McSwiggen responded, "No, I want to speak to your boss." McSwiggen was then asked to leave the building five to six times, police said.
Police say that McSwiggen was yelling and tried walking through a metal detector, making contact with a security officer in the process. Two other Pittsburgh Public Schools officers then attempted to remove McSwiggen from the building. McSwiggen then allegedly "threw a forearm" into one of the officers.
Police say McSwiggen has been banned from school property at the Greenfield School and that this is not the first time he has shown up at the district's administration building.
McSwiggen's attorney said his client denies all allegations against him and said Pittsburgh police assaulted McSwiggen. David Kobylinski is representing McSwiggen and said he plans to collect all electronic evidence from the administration building to review.
He said he's also looking into an incident that happened at Greenfield Elementary last month.
Some parents at Greenfield told KDKA on Tuesday that McSwiggen called 911 after someone pulled a gun on him on school property.
"A couple weeks ago, someone pulled a gun out on him. He called 911. Police showed up. I don't know what the administration and police talked about, but they kicked them both off the property. They're not allowed on the property," said Timothy Palmieri, a Greenfield Elementary parent.
McSwiggen's mother told KDKA that his son goes to Greenfield Elementary. She said he's been pushing for better safety measures at the school since the incident a few weeks ago. Palmieri said McSwiggen did not have a gun and had only called 911 when the incident happened.
"He tries to better the school for them. I know that. He talks about that," Palmieri said.
KDKA asked Pittsburgh Public Schools about the incident in March. The district was unable to release any details about what happened but said McSwiggen had been banned from being on school property at that time after exhibiting behavior that would jeopardize the safety and welfare of students.
McSwiggen's mother told KDKA that her son is a kind father who is known to go the extra mile for children to make sure they are safe.
McSwiggen was arrested Monday and was taken to the Allegheny County Jail. He is facing charges of aggravated assault, defiant trespassing and disorderly conduct.
A preliminary hearing has been set for next week.
