Emotions ran high Friday as the lawyer for two sisters who police say were assaulted last week by employees of a North Side gas station called for justice, and the women shared their perspectives through tears during a news conference Downtown.
"I was fearful for my life and that of my sister," said 25-year-old Jamila Regan, who struggled to speak while addressing the media from the offices of the siblings’ lawyer, Todd Hollis. "It will take time to heal."
Her sister, Ashia Regan, 27, called the incident "traumatic" and said it's hard not to think about since they both live on the North Side and have to drive past the gas station every day.
"... It just feels like we have to prove ourselves to people," Ashia Regan said, in the sisters’ first public remarks about the incident. "We shouldn't have to be put through that, because we're hard-working young ladies and we were just out trying to get us some gas. We weren't looking for no trouble, we weren't looking for no problems and now this is something we're going to have to deal with, probably for the rest of our lives."
Three employees of the gas station on Brighton Road in Marshall-Shadeland were charged with misdemeanor counts of simple assault.
A bystander’s video of the Sept. 20 fight at the Exxon showed a "lengthy physical confrontation" in which male store workers struck one of the women in the back of the head multiple times.
"The video shows three men savagely brutalizing two women," Mr. Hollis said.
Pittsburgh police said that a review of multiple videos showed that one of the women initiated the confrontation inside the store; it spilled outside and quickly became violent. One of the employees told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the women instigated the incident because of a dispute over spilled gasoline and said they were “out of control.”
"Regardless, short of these two women attacking anyone, there was no justification for what took place," Mr. Hollis said. "This sends a terrible message to the community about what people can and can't do to women, not just black women."
Mr. Hollis raised the prospect of suing but said criminal proceedings must take place first before that step is considered.
Balkar “Bill” Singh, 40, of Harmar, and Sukhjinder “Simon” Sadhra, 35, of Ross were charged earlier this week and were identified by their attorney as store employees. A third employee, Scott Hill, 50, of Perry South, also was charged. An additional count of criminal conspiracy has been lodged against Mr. Hill and Mr. Singh.
"Every resource in my office will be devoted to making sure that the Regan sisters get justice," Mr. Hollis said. "I don't care if I spend every dime in my bank account. It will happen, not just for them, but for everybody else after them."
City Councilman Daniel Lavelle on Tuesday called upon his colleagues to send a letter pressing Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala to upgrade the charges to felony aggravated assault. Mr. Lavelle said he sent the letter, signed by seven of the nine council members, to the DA on Wednesday. On Thursday, state Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, and her staff issued an open letter supporting the women.
The DA's office said earlier this week it believes the misdemeanor charges are "appropriate." A spokesman for the office declined to provide further comment Friday.
The incident spurred several consecutive days of protests outside the gas station in support of the women.
The sisters said the community support is "appreciated."
"It feels good to know that we're not alone in this situation and people are willing to come out, miss work, get up early in the morning,” Ashia Regan said. “It's not about us — it's just about women, period — and we have to stand up together as a community.”
State Reps. Jake Wheatley, D-Hill District, and Ed Gainey, D-Lincoln-Lemington, also attended Friday's news conference, and expressed sympathy for the sisters.
"We're praying for you every day," Mr. Gainey said. "I can't even imagine the mental stress you have to go through every single day."
He called the incident a "savage beating," and said the women did "nothing wrong."
"Simple assault is just not the charge that should be filed," Mr. Gainey said. "There's got to be other charges filed on something that was so brutal. ... It makes no sense."
Mr. Hollis declined to dissect the incident and said the "video speaks for itself."
Attorney David Shrager, who represents Mr. Singh and Mr. Sadhra, on Thursday lauded his clients as non-racists and immigrants from India who "know what it feels like to be different in this country."
The Exxon station has been closed since last weekend, and Mr. Singh and Mr. Sadhra have been suspended without pay until the case is closed, their lawyer said Thursday.
In an emailed statement, the owner of the land and assets of the Exxon site, LGP Realty Holdings LP, said it terminated the lease of the independent operator on Thursday, "following the results of the police investigation."
The company said it is now searching for a new operator who can "serve the community's needs."
Lacretia Wimbley: lwimbley@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1510 or on Twitter @Wimbleyjourno
First Published: September 27, 2019, 5:30 p.m.
Updated: September 27, 2019, 9:22 p.m.
