Charges withdrawn against activist who was arrested after speaking at Pittsburgh City Council

PITTSBURGH — The charges have been withdrawn against a local activist who was arrested after speaking at Pittsburgh City Council in May.

Chief Investigator Rick Earle has been covering this situation for several days and spoke to Will Parker and his attorney last week.

>> Local activist claims he’s being targeted, speaks exclusively to 11 Investigates

On May 29, Parker spoke out about the Juneteenth controversy and the decision by the Gainey Administration to award the contract to Bounce Marketing over William B. Marshall, who brought the celebration to the city and has run the event for over a decade.

After Parker spoke, he was arrested on outstanding warrants issued by Carnegie Mellon University.

The university charged him with defiant trespassing earlier in May. 11 Investigates learned that CMU police removed Parker from a symposium and told him not to return to campus.

“I was surprised. I had no idea there was a warrant out for my arrest,” said Parker.

When Parker spoke to Chief Investigator Rick Earle last week, he claimed authorities were attempting to silence him.

His May 29 arrest was the second time Pittsburgh police have taken him into custody this year.

“It appears this is nothing more than retaliation for his views,” said Ryan Gailey, Parker’s attorney.

Earle spoke with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office and they say it appears police followed proper procedures in getting the arrest warrant.

When Earle spoke to Parker and his attorney last week, he learned they are considering filing additional lawsuits in light of his most recent arrest.

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