Police arrest East Liberty man accused in spitting at Edgewood Giant Eagle

An East Liberty man accused of spitting on a Giant Eagle employee April 1 in Edgewood was arrested Wednesday in Braddock by Allegheny County Sheriff’s detectives.

Brandon Thompson, 23, was found at about 12:20 p.m. in a house in the 400 block of Library Street in Braddock. He was found inside the doorway and had attempted to move a television set in front of the door to prevent detectives from entering, the sheriff’s office said.

A sweatshirt that Thompson allegedly wore during when he spat on the Edgewood Towne Center Giant Eagle employee was also seized, the sheriff’s office said.

Police said Thompson went under a Plexiglas barrier, which Giant Eagle has installed in stores to separate customers from employees during the covid-19 pandemic, and spat on a store manager’s face. The suspect then fled.

Thompson had been wanted since April 9 when Allegheny County police identified him and released a surveillance camera image of him at the Giant Eagle.

Thompson is facing charges of terroristic threats, simple assault, recklessly endangering, harassment, and disorderly conduct.

Edgewood police responded to the store after an argument between Thompson and the store manager over a money order.

Thompson paid $50 for a money order but then demanded one be written for $100, police said.

Thompson is accused of threatening employees and then spitting on the manager’s face before leaving. The manager said she wiped her face and neck with hand sanitizer and “immediately started to pray.”

He is also accused of fleeing a traffic stop April 4 in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood. Officers didn’t pursue Thompson, but the received a warrant on fleeing and attempting to elude police and summary traffic violations, the sheriff’s office said.

Thompson was also wanted on a bench warrant related to a 2016 Allegheny County shooting case. He was on probation on two counts of aggravated assault for a Sept. 12, 2016, in Penn Hills.

Thompson fired a .380-caliber pistol at a vehicle occupied by a woman and her son in the 4900 block of Verona Road in Penn Hills, according to the sheriff’s office.