Pitt's Jeff Capel expresses `1,000 percent' support for Ithiel Horton after city police officer re-files criminal charges

Four criminal charges against Pitt junior guard Ithiel Horton, who was arrested Nov. 6 and charged with allegedly punching a city police officer on the South Side, were re-filed after the case was dismissed Dec. 30.

Pitt coach Jeff Capel responded, saying Horton is not permitted to be around the team until the matter is resolved.

But after Pitt’s 69-67 victory Saturday afternoon against Boston College, Capel expressed his “1,000 percent” support and “love” for Horton.

“He’s a great, great kid,” Capel said. “It’s really, really messed up what’s happening and what he’s having to go through again. He loves to be part of a team, and that has been taken from him. Unfortunately, it’s BS, I think.

”He’s someone we care about that we love and we know the kind of young man that he is.”

Before the game, Capel noticed a video board near the Pitt locker room that displayed Horton showing off his ball-handling skills before the Louisville game Wednesday.

“It was joy. This is what he loves to do. I got really, really emotional. I actually asked them to turn it off. Because there’s something that just doesn’t feel right about us getting ready for a game and him sitting in a jail cell. I feel for him. I love him.”

Capel said Horton was the first player to arrive Saturday morning for the normal, game-day shoot-around. He described Horton at that moment as “working,, excited.”

After the shoot-around, Horton turned himself in at the Pittsburgh Municipal Court Building at noon.

Charges against Horton, including aggravated assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkeness, were re-filed Dec. 31 by arresting officer Garrett M. Bellis.

Magisterial District Judge Randy Martini originally dismissed the charges after the prosecution attempted to postpone the case for a second time when witnesses failed to appear for a preliminary hearing. Bellis, who is also the victim, arrived at the hearing after the charges were dismissed.

After he turned himself in, Horton was released on a nonmonetary bond and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for Jan. 26.

After his arrest, Horton, 21, was suspended by the university for the first 13 games of the season. He was reinstated to the team when the charges were dismissed and played and scored 13 points Wednesday night in Pitt’s game at Louisville. Horton is Pitt’s leading returning scorer from 2020-21.

After charges were re-filed, Pitt officials issued the following statement:

“The University of Pittsburgh was notified that charges had been re-filed from the incident in early November and is adhering to athletic department policies. The case had been resolved when all charges were dismissed on Dec. 30. However, with the charges being re-filed Ithiel will not compete until the matter is resolved. We will continue to support Ithiel during this trying time and look forward to an appropriate resolution.”

Shortly after 1 a.m. Nov. 6, Horton was on the South Side’s Carson Street when he became angry with a company trying to tow his vehicle, according to a criminal complaint.

Bellis responded to the call and said Horton punched him in the face, injuring his lip.

Police said Horton then ran before being caught and arrested.

Defense attorney Philip DiLucente said the entire skirmish was caused by Horton making an obscene statement to police that morning and the officers taking offense.

“They weren’t kind words, but they weren’t aggressive words,” DiLucente said.

Paula Reed Ward contributed to this story.