Capo’s Bar, district attorney’s office reach agreement on operating conditions

PITTSBURGH — Capo’s Bar in Pittsburgh’s South Side won’t be forced to close, but it will need to follow some new rules.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> DA plans to meet with owner of South Side bar, prepares petition to shut it down after woman’s rape

Wednesday, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office announced it had filed a complaint in equity in common pleas court against the South Side bar.

Capo’s faced potential closure if it didn’t adhere to safety demands from the DA’s office, stemming from the rape of a woman in a nearby parking lot last week.

After two days of discussions, the DA’s office says it and Capo’s have agreed on operating conditions. Those will be established in a consent order, which will need court approval.

Officials say this replaces an injunction to close the bar, but if Capo’s violates the conditions, they’ll request the bar’s closure immediately.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> DA’s office considering action against South Side bar after woman was raped

Channel 11 asked the DA’s office for a list of the conditions. We were provided with this statement from Allegheny County DA Stephen Zappala:

“The terms were negotiated by my office, the Liquor Control Board (LCB), Liquor Code Enforcement (LCE) and the owners and representatives of the bar. They are based upon the concerns raised by all interested parties. The terms of the consent agreement have to be signed by the court before it can be released. Depending on the availability of the court, we expect the order to be signed as early as today or tomorrow.

“We’ve communicated the petition, and we will communicate the consent agreement to Chief Lando of the City of Pittsburgh Police for his review and submission to the Mayor’s Office, if appropriate.”

As for the sexual assault case, investigators say security removed the victim from the bar after she was visibly intoxicated.

Capo’s initially told Channel 11 that the victim was not at their business that night. Zappala has disputed that claim.

Larry Pappy Johnson was charged in the assault. He remained on the run for days before being arrested in New York.

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