Local

Man says he heard racial slurs before being thrown onto T tracks, beat unconscious

PITTSBURGH — Police have charged a man with attempted homicide and ethnic intimidation for allegedly throwing another man onto the tracks at the Wood Street T station in downtown Pittsburgh.

According to Port Authority spokesman Jim Ritchie, Kevin Lockett, 53, was assaulted and beaten unconscious just after 10 p.m. Saturday. He was taken to UPMC Mercy Hospital with head and facial injuries.

FREE APPS | NOW | FACEBOOK | TWITTER


Lockett continues to recover at home.

"It's hard to talk because I got a lot of facial bones broken," said Lockett.

In addition to attempted homicide and ethnic intimidation, Ryan Kyle, 21, is charged with aggravated assault, robbery and other charges.

Ritchie said Kyle threw Lockett off the platform and onto the tracks, then punched him after he got back onto the platform. Kyle then got on top of Lockett and punched him repeatedly until he was unconscious.

Lockett said he was on his way home at the time of the attack and did nothing to provoke it.

"I just heard a lot of N-bombs and I said, 'I'm the wrong guy.' The only thing I remember is being wrestled and pushed down on the tracks," said Lockett.

Four other men, identified as Christopher LaPlace, Kenneth Gault, Matthew LaPlace and David Depretis, are facing charges in connection to the incident, which was caught on surveillance cameras. Depretis is the son of Baldwin Borough's mayor.

Ritchie said a witness helped identify the suspects.

According to police, the five men facing charges in the attack had been drinking and were on their way home from the Kenny Chesney concert.

Lockett is scheduled to return to the hospital for facial surgery.