Pirates Staff Member Punches Fan After Being Spit On, Whips Him With Belt in Tense Altercation
The fan was seen spitting blood on the employee before being struck with a belt during a post-game clash at PNC Park.
Alex OchoMay 7, 2025
Paul Spinelli/MLB via Getty Images
A Pittsburgh Pirates game day employee has been suspended after getting into a physical altercation with a fan.
Sources told CBS News Pittsburgh that the incident took place during Sunday’s game at PNC Park when a fan and his friend allegedly harassed a female concession stand worker.
The employee reportedly stepped in to defend her and tried to lead the men away before the situation escalated.
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Pirates staff member fought a fan and whips him with a belt after getting spit on
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8:42 PM · May 6, 2025
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After several taunts from the fan, the employee is seen punching the fan several times. Later, the fan spat blood on the employee’s shirt, leading him to remove his belt around the two-minute mark in the video above and whipping the fan with it.
Bystanders and other employees were seen attempting to break up the fight.
"Following the conclusion of yesterday’s game, as the final few fans were exiting the ballpark, there was a verbal altercation between two male guests and a female food and beverage employee," said the Pirates in a statement shared with People. "At that time, the ballpark gameday employee seen in the video attempted to intervene on her behalf."
Brian Warecki, the team’s senior vice president of communications, called the behavior “entirely unacceptable,” confirmed the employee was suspended, and said the incident is “under further investigation.”
TikTok user Kelcy Vogel, one of the bystanders who recorded the incident, said in the comments section that it took “at least 10 minutes” for the police to arrive.
@kelcyvogel / TikTok
“They started making us leave after they broke them up. To be fair, it was at least an hour after the game ended,” she commented.
