Popular Pittsburgh Bar Closes Amid Nuisance Complaints

PITTSBURGH, PA — A popular Pittsburgh bar is closing after calls for it to be shut down after a fight there last weekend left a city police officer seriously injured.

Oddballs in the 1500 block of East Carson Street on the South Side is now shuttered.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala told multiple media outlets Wednesday that the tavern would have been shut down as a nuisance bar had its owner not agreed to close it voluntarily. According to Zappala, 11 police reports involving the bar had been filed since May.

An altercation in the bar early Saturday morning spilled out into the street. During the fight, Pittsburgh police Sgt. Andrew Robinson, who is head of the South Side entertainment patrol, with a broken leg.

The brawl sparked an outcry from several local elected officials for the bar to be shut down.

Oddballs management posted the following statement on its Facebook page:

"We have made several changes to improve the responsible operation of Oddballs and to ensure a safe and fun environment for everyone. Most of these changes have been implemented for over a year. We have had very minimal problems since we implemented (the changes).

"Closing Oddsballs is not a solution to the problems the South Side faces. We wish the best to every business that operates responsibly and look forward to seeing more progress be made."