2 men sentenced to prison for destroying a Pittsburgh Police car during 2020 protest

PITTSBURGH — Two residents of Allegheny County have been sentenced to prison after conspiring to set fire to a police vehicle during the downtown riot on May 30, 2020, and on a related charge of interference with a law enforcement officer during civil disorder on that same day, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced on Friday.

Da’Jon Lengyel, 24, of McKees Rocks will spend a little over two years in prison whereas Christopher West, 26, of Pittsburgh will spend four years, according to court documents.

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Officials said that Lengyel and West attended a protest march held on May 30, 2020, in the downtown Pittsburgh area.

The march was related primarily to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The march in Pittsburgh began at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Liberty Avenue in the downtown area, and eventually finished at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Centre Avenue near the intersection with Washington Place above the PPG Paints Arena.

At that time, one man in the crowd spray painted and broke a window out of a police vehicle that was unoccupied and parked on Centre Avenue. Shortly after, Lengyel and West climbed onto the vehicle, and then jumped up and down on the roof of the vehicle.

West also sat on the roof and attempted to kick out a window of the vehicle. Lengyel and West, along with several other individuals, then began efforts to set fire to the vehicle.

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As one other person set the fire in the backseat area of the vehicle, West and Lengyel placed pieces of cardboard and crumpled paper into the vehicle’s passenger compartment to provide more fuel to the fire. The police vehicle was completely destroyed as a result of the fire.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. U.S. Attorney Kaufman commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lengyel and West.

Officials with Pittsburgh Public Safety said that 60 businesses and properties in downtown areas were damaged by looters and rioters, including hotels, restaurants and small businesses. Of the 44 people arrested, 16 live in the city and the remaining people are from places like New Castle and New Kensington.

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