Pittsburgh police disperse large crowd on South Side, 2 officers injured

A driver ran over a Pittsburgh police officer’s foot and another officer injured his knee while trying to help his colleague as police dealt with a “large and disorderly” crowd on the South Side early Sunday morning,.

Police were called to handle the crowd between the 1500 and 1700 blocks of E. Carson Street just before 2:15 a.m, according to the Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety.

The crowd gathered when a fight started on the street, and people coming out of the nearby nightclubs gathered to watch, according to the public safety department said.

People filled the street, stopping traffic in both directions and surrounding vehicles in the street, the department said..

One officer was writing a traffic citation in an emergency lane when a driver drove over his left foot. He and the officer with the injured knee were taken to UPMC Mercy hospital in stable condition.

Two men were arrested.

Tarin Smith, 23, of Ocean, N.J. is charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, obstruction, recklessly endangering another person and reckless driving.

Eric James, 23, of Westerville, Ohio is charged with failure to disperse, resisting arrest and obstruction.

More officers were called as the crowd continued to grow. The police eventually formed a human skirmish line across the street to slowly move people away.

There was no resistance or injuries, according to the department.

The crowd dispersed around 3 a.m.