Pittsburg, PA

Police release more details about raid on Pittsburgh homeless encampment

Published

2 years ago

August 8, 2024

Police release more details about raid on Pittsburgh homeless encampment

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Police in Pittsburgh raided a homeless encampment on Wednesday, but officers said their targets were people preying on people experiencing homelessness.

KDKA-TV was there on Wednesday night when two dozen Pittsburgh Bureau of Police officers descended on a homeless encampment on Grant Street, arresting suspected drug dealers.

Acting on search warrants and the findings of a months-long investigation, narcotics and violence prevention officers converged on the Downtown encampment, handcuffing and detaining several people as they searched the tents. According to incident reports, they seized large quantities of suspected crack cocaine.

“After police activity and investigation, they realized there were people coming into this encampment, as we’ve seen on others, that are preying on the vulnerable population, using them as camouflage or cover to engage in illegal activity, including drug dealing,” Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said.

Officers arrested five individuals, including two who they say did not live there but stored and sold drugs from two of the tents.

Deidra Lomax of Washington County is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 individual bags of crack cocaine. The criminal complaint says Davidt Brown of Turtle Creek had 39 pieces of crack as well as powder cocaine he had been selling to the people experiencing homelessness there.

Lomax was released on her own recognizance, but Brown remains in the Allegheny County Jail unable to make his $1 bail.

“We never want to go after people in our vulnerable population,” Schmidt said. “We want the people who are the perpetrators and the predatory actions stopped.”

According to the criminal complaints, police began their investigation by responding to complaints from business owners who had observed open-air drug transactions, violence, public urination and defecation at the site.

Schmidt said the site is not being decommissioned but is under study by a city and county committee that evaluates the encampments and whether they should be taken down.

About half of the encampment was taken down during the raid. And while many of the residents left, others returned on Thursday while the city and county evaluated whether to take down the rest of it.

Andy Sheehan

KDKA-TV Investigator Andy Sheehan began his broadcast journalism career in September 1992, when he joined KDKA after reporting for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for nine years. Andy’s forte is the in-depth investigative story, exposing corruption and government waste.

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Pittsburg, PA

Oneil Cruz Powers Pirates Past Astros

Published

11 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

PITTSBURGH — Oneil Cruz needs to have a great season for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026 and his strong Spring Training continued in their most recent victory.

Cruz hit a three-run home run off of Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Jayden Murray in the top of the fifth inning, playing a big role in the 5-2 victory at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla.

He waited on a changeup on the second pitch, 85.1 mph over the middle of the plate and sent it 106.4 mph off the bat and 368 feet, scoring both left fielder Billy Cook and third baseman Alika Williams with two outs.

That marks the first home run for Cruz in the Grapefruit League, who has had a great Spring Training so far, slashing .538/.600/.846 for an OPS of 1.446 in five games, with seven hits in 13 at-bats.

Pittsburgh got the win after the top of the sixth inning, after a rain delay ended the game.

Pirates Rookie Pitchers Have Up-And-Down Showing vs. Astros

Right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft made his second start for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League and dominated vs. the Astros.

Sep 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft (67) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Ashcraft threw three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and a walk, while posting two strikeouts for Pittsburgh.

Former Pirates pitcher, right-handed starter Mike Burrows, countered Ashcraft for the Astros. He threw three scoreless innings himself, allowed one hit and a walk and posted four strikeouts.

The Pirates traded Burrows to the Houston Astros in the three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Dec. 19, that landed them second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery.

Right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler made his second appearance for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League and threw two innings.

Chandler immediately loaded the bases, walking both third baseman Carlos Correa and first baseman Christian Walker, then giving up a single to center fielder Cam Smith.

He came back and struckout right fielder Taylor Trammell and got left fielder Zach Dezenzo to pop out, but gave up a single to second baseman Brice Matthews and a run to the Astros, before ending the inning with a strikeout.

Chandler also gave up a solo home run to Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, on a slider down in the zone.

He finished his outing with three hits, three walks and two earned runs allowed over 1.1 innings pitched, before left-handed pitcher Derek Diamond got the last two outs of the inning.

Chandler struggled in his first Spring Training start vs. the New York Yankees at LECOM Park in Bradenton on Feb. 23, where he allowed four earned runs over 1.2 innings of work.

Feb 23, 2026; Bradenton, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler (36) throws a pitch during the second inning against the New York Yankees at LECOM Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Pirates will need better showings from Chandler, who should serve as a key piece of their starting rotation in 2026.

Other Important Notes from Pirates Victory

The Pirates added two runs in the top of the sixth inning, as Cook hit a single that scored second baseman Nick Yorke and then Williams singled, scoring Cook to make it a 5-2 ball game.

Cook had just one hit in eight at-bats coming into this game and scored twice in the victory, as he walked before the Cruz home run.

Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna led the Pirates with two hits, a good sign for them, as they’ll rely on him greatly for his power and hitting in 2026.

The Pirates are now 7-2 in the Grapefruit League and tied with the Yankees for the top of the standings.

Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!

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