Man taken into custody after running on icy Allegheny River to flee from police
CHURCHILL MARCIE CIPRIANI PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. OKAY, MARCY, THANKS SO MUCH. WE WANT TO TURN NOW TO MORE BREAKING NEWS. THIS FROM WEST DEER TOWNSHIP. EMERGENCY OFFICIALS ARE CONFIRMING ONE PERSON DIED IN THIS FIRE. IT STARTED AT 11:00 THIS MORNING ON TRUMP ROAD. NOW, WE DON’T KNOW YET THE NAME OF THE PERSON WHO WAS KILLED, BUT WE SPOKE WITH SOME NEIGHBORS WHO TELL US THEY WERE VERY SAD TO HEAR ABOUT HIS DEATH. I’M A LITTLE BIT OF A LONER. YOU KNOW, KIND OF A UNIQUE, UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL. BUT AS NICE AS COULD BE. IT’S TERRIBLE. IT’S A TRAGEDY TO HEAR THAT OF HIS PASSING TODAY. INVESTIGATORS TELL US THEY ARE STILL WORKING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THIS FIRE. LET’S TURN NOW TO PITTSBURGH’S ACTION WEATHER ON THIS WEDNESDAY. AND WE’RE FEELING THE ARCTIC CHILL ALL AROUND US. WIND CHILLS BELOW ZERO AND IT’S NOT GOING TO GET ANY BETTER ANYTIME SOON. THAT IS A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW. IT IS ROUGH OUT THERE. METEOROLOGIST BRIAN JUNIOR IS HERE NOW WITH A LOOK AT THE CERTIFIED MOST ACCURATE FORECAST. NO FREEZING ANYWHERE ON THE FORECAST. NO. WE GET CLOSE NEXT WEEK. RIGHT NOW IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE WE GET TO FREEZING THOUGH. AS WE HEAD INTO THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY. SO WE ARE STAYING COLD. TOMORROW IS ANOTHER IMPACT DAY FOR US, AS WE WILL STAY COLD. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, THOUGH, ARE BOTH SEVERE WEATHER ALERT DAYS AS WE WILL LIKELY RIVAL OUR RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES. CURRENTLY FORECASTING SEVEN BELOW ON FRIDAY, EIGHT BELOW SATURDAY MORNING. THAT WOULD BREAK THE RECORDS OF MINUS FIVE. BOTH OF THOSE WERE SET BACK IN 2019, AND AGAIN THAT SATURDAY MORNING COULD BE THE COLDEST WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR THIS SEASON, OUR COLDEST SINCE THE END OF JANUARY LAST YEAR. COLD WEATHER ADVISORIES IN EFFECT AGAIN TONIGHT FOR ALL OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. AGAIN, EXPECT WIND CHILLS BETWEEN ABOUT -10 TO -15 AS YOU HEAD OUT THE DOOR. CURRENT TEMPERATURES RIGHT NOW ARE SITTING IN THE TEENS AS 12 AT THE CURRENT AIR TEMPERATURE IN PITTSBURGH. YOU FACTOR IN THE WIND, THOUGH. WE FEEL LIKE WE’RE NEAR ZERO. SO IT’S GOING TO FEEL. AND WHEN THAT WARM-UP FINALLY GETS HERE, THAT’S IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. OKAY BRIAN, THANKS SO MUCH. AND WE DO WANT TO GET RIGHT BACK TO THAT BREAKING NEWS. WE’RE TRACKING RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF THIS NEWSCAST. WE ARE WATCHING THIS UNFOLD LIVE. SO WE TOLD YOU HOW WE WERE TRACKING THIS PERSON WHO WAS WALKING ALONG THE ICY ALLEGHENY RIVER. WE’RE GETTING THIS VANTAGE POINT FROM SKY 4, PITTSBURGH’S ONLY NEWS CHOPPER. THIS WAS NOT FAR FROM THE AREA OF THE FULTON BRIDGE. AND ANDREW, JUST IN THE PAST FEW MOMENTS, WE SAW SOME POLICE OFFICERS COME IN. THAT’S RIGHT. POLICE OFFICERS CAME ON THE WATER, APPARENTLY, AND THEY HAVE DETAINED THIS PERSON. I THINK THEY HAVE HIM UNDER ARREST AND JUST TAKE HIM OFF THE ICE TO SAFER GROUND. BUT THIS HAS ALL HAPPENED THE LAST COUPLE OF MINUTES AS AND THERE ARE THERE ARE HANDCUFFS ON HIM, WE UNDERSTAND. YES. HAND HANDCUFFS ON HIM. AND ONCE AGAIN, POLICE HAVE HIM IN CUSTODY AS THEY TAKE HIM OFF THE ICE. WE DON’T KNOW WHY HE WAS WALKING OUT THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE KNOW HE WAS WALKING FOR QUITE A WHILE AND ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS IN THE AREA OF OAKMONT, NEAR THE HULTON BRIDGE. YEAH, WE’LL KEEP FOLLOWING THAT. UNCLEAR IF HE WAS POTENTIALLY EVADING POLICE AT ONE POINT. EXACTLY WHAT FOR? WE DON’T KNOW AT THIS POINT, BUT WE WERE JUST TRACKING THIS IN REAL TIME. WANTED TO BRING YOU THE UPDATE. WE WILL LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS WE HEAR FROM POLICE MORE ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THIS SITUATION. WILD SCENE THIS AFTERNOON ON THE ALLEGHENY RIVER. MEANTIME, A PITTSBURGH PITTSBURGH STREETS ARE STILL UNPLOWED AFTER A MASSIVE WEEKEND SNOWSTORM. IN FACT, THIS IS DAY THREE OF THE CLEANUP HAPPENING ALL ACROSS THE AREA. AND JUST IN THE PAST HOUR, MAYOR COREY O’CONNOR GAVE AN UPDATE ON THE CITY’S SNOW REMOVAL. AND WE WANT TO BRING IN ANCHOR KRISTEN POWERS WITH MORE ON THAT. WHAT KIND OF PROGRESS ARE THEY MAKING HERE? YEAH, BECAUSE EVERYONE’S WATCHING THAT PRETTY CLOSELY AT THIS POINT. SO MAYOR O’CONNOR SAYS THAT THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH HAS 47 PUBLIC WORKS VEHICLES ON THE ROADS CLEARING THE SNOW. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE DOZENS OF CONTRACTORS WE TOLD YOU ABOUT HELPING IN THIS CAUSE. AND THEY’RE FILLING THE GAPS WHERE THAT’S NEEDED. YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK IT’S JUST WHERE WE’RE SEEING A GAP AND WHERE WE’RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, SNOW PILE UP IN SOME AREAS AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S PILING UP EVERYWHERE. WE’RE NOT NAIVE TO THAT. BUT IF THERE’S X AMOUNT OF SQUARE FOOTAGE WHERE IT’S IT’S PILING UP TOWARDS THE BUSINESS DISTRICT, TOWARDS AN INTERSECTION WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN. THINGS LIKE A LEFT HAND TURN, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE. I THINK THAT’S WHERE WE’RE LOOKING AT MAJOR INTERSECTIONS THAT WERE CLEANED, BUT NOW ON THE EDGES, THEY’RE PILING UP. O’CONNOR SAYS THERE IS NO TIMELINE RIGHT NOW FOR WHEN ALL OF THE ROADS WILL BE CLEAR. BUT HE DOES SAY THEY ARE GETTING A BETTER PICTURE OF WHERE THIS PROGRESS STANDS. HE SAYS HIS ADMINISTRATION IS TRACKING PLOW ROUTES. I MEAN, WE SEE, YOU KNOW, CONSTANTLY GO BACK. YOU KNOW, WE COULD GO BACK 12 HOURS EVEN FURTHER ON SOME. AND WE DO SEE LIKE A LOT OF STREETS HAVE BEEN HIT. THE PROBLEM IS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE FREEZING TEMPERATURES, WE’RE HITTING THEM AND THEY’RE NOT GOING ALL THE WAY TO CONCRETE, AS YOU SEE ON SOME OF OUR MAIN ROADS. SO MAYOR O’CONNOR DID MENTION CHAIRS POPPING UP IN THE STREETS OF PITTSBURGH. I KNOW I SAW THAT DRIVING AROUND TODAY TO HOLD PARKING SPACES AFTER PEOPLE DUG OUT THEIR CARS. HE DOES ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE RESPECTFUL AND COURTEOUS TO EACH OTHER. ANDREW KELLY. KRISTEN. THANK YOU. NOW BACK TO MORE OF OUR WINTER WEATHER COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR THIS GARBAGE TRUCK IN SHARPSBURG. TAKE A LOOK. THIS IS THE AREA OF 10TH STREET. A LARGE TOW TRUCK WAS NEEDED TO HELP GET THE GARBAGE TRUCK UNSTUCK. NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED. NOW, WHILE IT CAN BE A TOUGH JOB, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO MAKE SURE YOU CLEAN ALL THE SNOW OFF YOUR VEHICLE BEFORE YOU DRIVE THAT VEHICLE. RIGHT. I’M SURE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF US HAVE BEEN SEEING, DRIVING AROUND CARS THAT LOOK LIKE SNOWBALLS, RIGHT? WE’RE TRYING TO AVOID. AND IN FACT, IF YOU DON’T CLEAR YOUR CARS, YOU COULD ACTUALLY BE BREAKING THE LAW. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER SHELDON INGRAM JOINING US LIVE THIS AFTERNOON, NOT FAR FROM THE PARKWAY EAST IN EDGEWOOD. SHELDON, WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE RULES AND WHAT CAN THE PUNISHMENT FOR THIS BE? WELL, HERE’S WHAT’S GOING ON. THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL DRIVING AROUND TODAY WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ON THEIR CARS. NOW, STATE POLICE SAY THAT SNOW SHOULD BE REMOVED WITHIN 24 HOURS AFTER SNOWFALL TODAY. YOU SEE PLENTY OF CARS ON THE ROADWAYS WITH SEVERAL INCHES STACKED ON TOP OF THE ROOFS OF THEIR CARS. NOW, STATE POLICE SAY THAT POLICE IN ANY JURISDICTION CAN PULL YOU OVER AND ISSUE A CITATION. THE FINES CAN RANGE FROM $50 FOR DRIVING WITH SNOW ON THE ROOF, OR THE HOOD OF YOUR CAR, OR IF THAT SNOW HITS ANOTHER VEHICLE, CAUSES AN ACCIDENT OR EVEN DEATH. THE FINE CAN RANGE FROM 200 TO $1500. HERE’S MORE FROM STATE POLICE. IF YOU’RE DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE DOWN THE ROAD AND A LARGE CHUNK OF SNOW OR ICE COMES DISLODGED, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY STRIKE A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING NEARBY YOUR VEHICLE. IT COULD STRIKE ANOTHER VEHICLE, COULD RESULT IN A CRASH CAUSING INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. AND SO THE LAWS FOCUS ON PREVENTING INJURY AND DEATH AND KEEPING THE VISIBILITY GOOD FOR THE DRIVER. NOW, STATE POLICE SAY IT IS THE SNOW ICE LAW, AND IT ALSO PERTAINS TO THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND THE REAR WINDSHIELD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE CLEAR SO THAT THE DRIVERS CAN SEE IN FRONT OF THEM AND THROUGH THEIR REAR VIEW MIRROR MIRRORS. COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY IN EDGEWOOD, SHELDON INGRAM PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. ALL GOOD ADVICE, SHELDON. THANK YOU. WE’VE BEEN STAYING ON TOP OF SALT SUPPLIES ACROSS OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THAT’S RIGHT. BEFORE THE STORM EVEN HIT, THERE WERE MULTIPLE PLACES SOUNDING THE ALARM THAT THEY WERE RUNNING LOW ON SUPPLIES. NOW, LEARNING TODAY, IT IS STILL NOT EASY TO GET SUPPLIES HERE. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR REPORTER CHANDI CHAPMAN IS FOLLOWING UP THIS AFTERNOON FROM CARNEGIE. I’M HERE AT THE CARNEGIE MUNICIPAL BUILDING, WHERE THE UPSTAIRS IS ACTUALLY A 24 HOUR WARMING CENTER FOR THE PUBLIC. NOW, TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP, MAKING THAT SNOW CLEANUP EVEN TOUGHER, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE’S A SALT SHORTAGE. CARNEGIE IS PART OF A PURCHASING CO-OP CALLED THE SOUTH HILLS AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT THAT BUYS AND SHARES THE SALT SUPPLY. PATRICK CONNORS, WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SHEA, SAYS THERE ARE 23 MEMBERS AND THE SALT SHORTAGE IS AFFECTING 99 COMMUNITIES. HE SAYS RIGHT NOW, FIVE BARGES OF SALT THAT COME ALL THE WAY FROM LOUISIANA ARE NOW ALONG THE RIVER. CREWS HAVE UNLOADED SOME BARGES, BUT THE ICY RIVER IS MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO UNLOAD ALL OF THE BARGES SO SALT CAN BE DELIVERED TO MUNICIPALITIES AND BOROUGHS. THEY’VE UNLOADED ONE BARGE YESTERDAY AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF UNLOADING TWO BARGES TODAY, SO THAT’S ABOUT 4500 TONS OF SALT WITH THOSE THREE BARGES THAT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 1500 TONS A DAY CAN BE DISTRIBUTED WITH THE TRUCK SYSTEM TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE PITTSBURGH REGION. COMING UP HERE, MORE ABOUT HOW THAT SALT SHORTAGE WILL AFFECT THE ROADS COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY IN CARNEGIE. CHANDI CHAPMAN PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR. ALL RIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH. AND IF YOU ARE NOT IN FRONT OF YOUR TV BUT YOU WANT TO STAY UP TO DATE, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE WTAE APP DOWNLOADED. YOU CAN USE THAT TO TRACK THE FORECAST HOUR BY HOUR. AND ALSO GET ALL THE LATEST ON CLOSINGS AND DELAYS AS THEY COME IN. ALSO, BY THE WAY, WE DO HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION POSTED ON WTAE.COM. AND PLENTY STILL TO COME HERE AT FOUR ON FOUR INCLUDING TRACKING THAT RIVER ICE WHERE A LOCAL LOCK AND DAM SHOWING YOU HOW THEY’RE WORKING TO KEEP WATER TRAFFIC MOVING. PLUS THINKING WARM THOUGHTS. WE ALL NEED TO DO IT. THE FIRST JOB FAIRS WERE JUST ANNOUNCED FOR KENNYWOOD, IDLEWILD AND SANDCASTLE AND LATER SOMETHING TO DO INSIDE ON ONE OF THESE FRIGID COLD DAYS. THE PUSH FOR A PITTSBURGH THEMED LEGO SET. AND IT IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER COLD DAY FOR US TOMORROW. ANOTHER COLD WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. WIND CHILLS WILL START SUBZERO AND STRUGGLE TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE SINGLE DIGITS. THE WORST, THOUGH, IS STILL AHEAD. I’M DETAILING OUR BACK TO BACK SERE WEATHER ALERT DAYS. WHEN WE COMEALL RIGHT, WE’RE COM HERE ONCE AGAIN WITH THE BREAKING NEWS WE’VE BEEN TRACKING SINCE THE TOP OF THE HOUR, BECAUSE WE’RE STARTING TO GET SOME UPDATES HERE. SO AS A RECAP, IN THE PAST FEW MOMENTS, SKY FOUR CAPTURED POLICE APPREHENDING A MAN WHO HAD BEEN WALKING ON THE ICY ALLEGHENY RIVER. THIS HAD BEEN GOING ON FOR SOME TIME. HE WAS CAPTURED IN THE AREA NEAR THE FULTON BRIDGE. WE SAW POLICE PUTTING THIS PERSON IN HANDCUFFS. WE DON’T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER DETAILS OTHER THAN TO SAY WE DID LEARN. THIS STARTED AS A PURSUIT INVOLVING CITY OF PITTSBURGH POLICE, SO THEY WERE CERTAINLY
Man taken into custody after running on icy Allegheny River to flee from police
Updated: 5:40 PM EST Jan 28, 2026
Police officers have detained a man who had been walking on the Allegheny River near Huolton Bridge Wednesday afternoon.Sky 4, Pittsburgh’s only news chopper, was over the area as he was walking on the river. At one point, our video captured the man speaking with two other people who were standing on the docks. Those people were able to toss the walker a life vest, which he put on. A few minutes later, the officers stepped onto the ice and approached the man, who was then detained and handcuffed.Following the incident, Pittsburgh officials released new details, saying police were first called to the 7100 block of Highland Drive around 1 p.m. after the man allegedly trespassed at the former VA site. Police said the man was found inside the property and ran from officials on foot. He was tracked to the Allegheny River, where he walked across on the ice. Officials said the man refused to surrender to police. At 4 p.m., Pittsburgh police said the man walked off the ice and was taken into custody by officers in the 2600 block of Freeport Road in Harmar Township. Police posted photos from the scene, which showed the man walking along the river. The man, who has not been identified, was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Police said charges are expected to be filed. RAW VIDEO BELOW:Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.
PITTSBURGH —
Police officers have detained a man who had been walking on the Allegheny River near Huolton Bridge Wednesday afternoon.
Sky 4, Pittsburgh’s only news chopper, was over the area as he was walking on the river.
At one point, our video captured the man speaking with two other people who were standing on the docks. Those people were able to toss the walker a life vest, which he put on.
A few minutes later, the officers stepped onto the ice and approached the man, who was then detained and handcuffed.
Following the incident, Pittsburgh officials released new details, saying police were first called to the 7100 block of Highland Drive around 1 p.m. after the man allegedly trespassed at the former VA site.
Police said the man was found inside the property and ran from officials on foot. He was tracked to the Allegheny River, where he walked across on the ice.
Officials said the man refused to surrender to police.
At 4 p.m., Pittsburgh police said the man walked off the ice and was taken into custody by officers in the 2600 block of Freeport Road in Harmar Township.
Police posted photos from the scene, which showed the man walking along the river.
The man, who has not been identified, was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Police said charges are expected to be filed.
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