University of Pittsburgh Police have charged a man with rioting and aggravated assault in connection to the pro-Palestinian encampment on Pitt’s campus earlier this month, the third protester to be charged by university police.
Cole Florkewicz, 24, of Pittsburgh, has also been charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing the law, according to court documents. He is not in custody as of Tuesday morning.
The accusations come after around 40 protesters, made up of students and community members, took over the lawn of the Cathedral of Learning on the evening of June 2. Demonstrators were calling for Pitt to disclose its ties to Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Throughout the days of protests, there were minor scuffles between protesters and police. But on the evening of June 3, the second night of demonstrations, things took a turn and interactions became violent.
The conflict included a pink smoke bomb firework and water bottles thrown at police officers. Officers were seen throwing some protesters to the ground. Medics were called to the scene, as well as additional police units.
Weeks after the encampment cleared out, on June 24, police were able to see a “previously identified protester” in video footage from an officer’s body camera and identified him as Mr. Florkewicz, the criminal complaint said.
In the footage, Mr. Florkewicz is seen allegedly attacking the security barrier and pushing it toward officers, in tandem with 30 other protesters on June 3, according to the criminal complaint. Protesters are then seen in the footage trying to dismantle other areas of the barrier when objects started to be thrown over the police and one of the items allegedly thrown by Mr. Florkewicz hit an officer.
The officer addresses Mr. Florkewicz, asking if he wants to hurt her, according to the criminal complaint. Addressing Mr. Florkewicz again, the officer asked if he was OK with hurting her, to which the accused replied “yeah,” the complaint said.
As officers try to re-establish the barrier, another protester and Mr. Florkewicz are seen in the camera footage trying to grab it out of the hands of the officer, causing the officer to fall as the two take control of the barrier, according to the complaint.
Police were able to identify Mr. Florkewicz using body camera footage and university video, according to the criminal complaint. Additionally, officers spotted the accused in Oakland prior to the event and on social media.
The arrest warrant for Mr. Florkewicz is the third filed by the University of Pittsburgh Police towards a protester involved in the pro-Palestinian encampment.
University of Pittsburgh Police filed arrest warrants for two men last week in connection to the protest.
Muhammad Ali, 21, is charged with rioting, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of obstructing the law and disorderly conduct. Cory Roma, 24, has been charged with rioting, obstructing the law, disorderly conduct and defiant trespassing, according to court documents.
Mr. Ali’s preliminary hearing has been scheduled for July 11, according to court documents. Mr Roma’s preliminary hearing has been set for July 9.
Ciara McEneany: cmceneany@post-gazette.com
First Published: June 25, 2024, 12:17 p.m.
Updated: June 26, 2024, 2:04 a.m.
