Jeannette police tried to avoid arresting a group of girls who were yelling about a fight in the street Sunday, but took one into custody after several residents started exiting their homes, according to court papers.
Four to five females were walking in and out of traffic at the intersection of South Fourth Street and Chambers Avenue at 5:30 p.m., screaming and attempting to re-start a fight that had ended, police said.
Police were trying to get the group to disperse in an effort to not burden an already-limited local justice system because of the coronavirus pandemic, Patrolman Bryan DeFelice said in court papers. The officers asked the group to go home at least 15 times, police said.
Members of the group started yelling obscenities at a female resident and authorities said several people starting coming outside on Cuyler Avenue and from Jeannette Manor. Police chased Sheradin Brittany Rose Hazen, 18, around a few blocks before taking her into custody at the intersection of Cuyler and Chambers avenues.
She is charged with flight to avoid apprehension, riot, failure to disperse and related offenses. She is free on $10,000 unsecured bail. A July 2 preliminary hearing is set. She did not have an attorney listed in online court records. It was unclear if any others were arrested.
Jeannette Police Chief Shannon Binda said officers are handling some nonemergency calls by phone while others will be handled in person.
“We will determine what are and are not emergencies and handle them accordingly,” he said.
