The Panther Pit in Oakland raided by law enforcement for compliance check

PITTSBURGH — An Oakland bar just steps from the University of Pittsburgh’s campus was raided by law enforcement agents late Thursday night as officers with the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement performed a compliance check.

If you ask any Pitt student walking the streets of Oakland today, they’ll likely tell you they saw the videos of the raid on social media of The Panther Pit being raided. Many of those students tell Channel 11 this is a nuisance bar and they hope that means this bar will stay closed.

The video was taken by a neighbor and later posted on the Barstool Pitt Instagram account.

It appears to show law enforcement agents taking boxes out of The Panther Pit bar and loading them into unmarked gray vans.

“Some of the cops were saying that they were going to take all the alcohol, take it away,” one neighbor said.

Pittsburgh Police confirmed to Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek that their detectives helped Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement officers with a compliance check Thursday night, and that all of the liquor and beer was removed from the bar.

Students say they’re not shocked this bar was raided.

“Not surprised at all, honestly,” said Sarah Bickerstaff, a junior. “It’s always packed in there. Very sticky. Too many people. I’m surprised they let as many people in as they do. I never liked it. I mean, even if it was still open, I would not go in there.”

This isn’t the first time the Panther Pit has run into trouble.

The bar was shut down in February, not because of any liquor law violations, but by the Allegheny County Health Department.

They had two “medium risk” citations, saying the bar had leaking sewage pipes, didn’t have soap for bartenders to wash hands on any of the three bar floors, had damaged floors and ceilings, and had a strong sewer gas smell.

With Thursday night’s police involvement, senior Roberto DeFazio doesn’t want to see the bar reopen.

“I just feel like it brings some unwanted attention to my street,” DeFazio said. “I’m hoping that this is the final nail in the coffin.”

While Pittsburgh Police say they were assisting state police, state police have not yet made any comment. There is no word on why officers were performing a compliance check. Pittsburgh Police said as of Friday, no arrests have been made.

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