Cubs fan wearing goat hat body slammed by Pittsburgh police

An ABC7 I-Team Investigation

Chuck Goudie Image
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Cubs fan wearing goat hat body slammed by Pittsburgh police
A brutality investigation is underway because of what happened at PNC Park in Pittsburgh during the National League wild-card game.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A brutality investigation is underway because of what happened at PNC Park in Pittsburgh during the National League wild-card game. Cell phone video shows Chicago sports fan Dimitry Mitalas, who arrived at the ballpark decked out in a Cubs jacket and a goat hat in honor of the great superstition that has had the Cubs cursed for 60 years, in what appears to be a choke hold by a Pittsburgh policeman, who then body-slams him to the concrete.

As Cubs fans made themselves known during the wild-card game, there was Mitalas on TV. The Wrigleyville resident says shortly after he was shown he was pelted with spit and a wad of chewing tobacco.

After words were exchanged in the stands, ushers asked Mitalas to leave, even though witnesses say they told ushers that he didn't cause the fracas.

When Mitalas arrived here in the stadium concourse and attempted to ask a uniform Pittsburgh policeman about the situation, he says the cop went off.

Video shot by several bystanders show the police officer grabbing Mitalas, even though Mitalas tells the I-Team the officer hadn't been in the stands and knew nothing about the abuse he was trying to describe.

An angry stadium security guard seems to order someone videoing the incident to stop.

But then video shot by a different bystander shows the police officer take Mitalas down in a chokehold.

This video was seen Sunday night on social media by Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto, who has now ordered a brutality inquiry by the Office of Municipal Investigations. Mitalas' attorney tells the I-Team they are preparing a lawsuit.

Mitalas is a Chicago bartender who also owns a t-shirt company, jobs that allow him to travel to games. He's also a Blackhawks fan and a Bears fan, who has a picture with Mike Ditka on his Facebook page.

For him and many others, the climb to a Cubs World Series win would be like none other.

But this violent encounter in Pittsburgh, which resulted in no arrest and no charges, has cast a shadow over what should be a joyous time.

The Pittsburgh Police Department had already begun an internal review this morning when Mayor Peduto asked the Office of Municipal Investigations to step in. The head of the Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board says the officer may have engaged in "questionable conduct."