Butler man gets jail time for assaulting KDKA cameraman during Pittsburgh protest

Jordan Erdos didn’t initiate the attack on a KDKA photographer during last year’s protests in Downtown Pittsburgh over the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota.

But the 21-year-old from Butler did get swept up in the mob mentality that led to it — pushing his way through the crowd so he could kick Ian Smith in the head and neck repeatedly.

For that, a judge said Tuesday, Erdos will serve at least six months in jail.

Erdos pleaded guilty June 1 before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski to one count each of simple assault, riot, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct stemming from the May 30, 2020, protests that left 72 businesses with damage and a Pittsburgh police car burned.

Prosecutors said Erdos was near PPG Paints Arena that afternoon when Smith, who was documenting the protests, was attacked.

Smith, who testified about his experience, said he’d been working about 45 minutes, and characterized what he’d seen as “chaos.”

Just after the Pittsburgh police car was set on fire, Smith said, he was attacked.

Smith’s camera was taken from him and bashed on the ground, and he was pushed to the ground and beaten and stomped.

He said he thought he was going to die.

“Two female voices, I heard them say, ‘Kill him. Kill him,’ ” Smith testified. “I was very much in fear for my life on the ground.”

Several people pulled Smith to safety. He was taken to UPMC Mercy, where he was diagnosed with a mild concussion. He said he had bruising all over his chest and face and deep lacerations on his knees and thumb.

Smith said he had headaches for a week and has panic attacks and other symptoms his therapist said are from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Defense attorney Andy Howard asked Borkowski to sentence his client to probation, which was part of the advisory guideline range. Howard said Erdos has no prior criminal history and lacked the maturity to counter social pressures from the mob mentality.

“He’s expressed nothing but remorse and regret for how he acted,” Howard said.

Erdos spoke briefly during the hearing, saying, “I just wanted to apologize to Mr. Smith and his family and the courts and hope you guys could give me one more chance.”