Man sues Pittsburgh police, alleges violation of constitutional rights

Two Pittsburgh police officers are being sued in federal court over allegations that they misidentified and arrested an Allegheny County man on assault charges without probable cause and violated his constitutional rights.

In a lawsuit filed against Officers Brian Shelton and Joseph Giles, 22-year-old Chiyeh Green alleged that he was wrongfully held in jail for six days despite an ankle monitor from past charges showing he was at home during the time of the assault police accused him of committing, according to an April 9 report by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Here's what we know.

What led up to Pittsburgh officers arresting Green?

On July 20, 2025, an assault on Sydney Street on Pittsburgh's South Side was livestreamed on Facebook, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. The video showed a victim, who is not named, being assaulted by a man and a woman, according to the lawsuit.

During the investigation, officers spoke to the woman, who the victim knew, and were given the name of the man, the suit said. Police were told that the man was the father of the women's children, with the victim showing Shelton a Facebook profile for "Sly Green."

How did Pittsburgh officers identify Green?

The Facebook profile the victim pulled up for Shelton showed a Black man, who Shelton wrote "matched" the perpetrator in the video, the lawsuit said.

While with the victim, Shelton received a call from a Pittsburgh detective, who told him that Giles had learned of the video and identified Green as the attacker.

When was Green arrested?

Green was charged on July 24, 2025, with Shelton and several officers arresting him at his home five miles from where the assault took place, the lawsuit said.

His probation officer was also present at the home and told police that Green was on house arrest with an ankle monitor.

How long was Green held in jail?

Green was held at the Allegheny County Jail for six days. The charges were dismissed at a bond hearing on July 30, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

"Mr. Green was falsely accused of a crime he clearly did not commit," said Amanda Shields, one of Green’s attorneys. "We look forward to seeking justice."

Lawsuit: 'Only identifiable similarity' between Green and perpetrator 'is their race and/or skin color'

The lawsuit alleged that the video of the assault "clearly depicts a different individual who does not resemble" Green committing the act.

"The only identifiable similarity between the male perpetrator depicted in the video evidence and the plaintiff (Green) is their race and/or skin color," the lawsuit said.

In his affidavit of probable cause, Shelton didn't include that Green was on probation and wearing an ankle monitor during the incident, according to the lawsuit.

"Shelton conducted a constitutionally deficient investigation by willfully and/or with reckless disregard ignoring exculpatory evidence as well as reasonably discoverable exculpatory evidence," the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit includes claims of emotional trauma and suffering, economic damages, malicious prosecution, false arrest, false imprisonment, equal protections violations and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Eliza Durham, public information officer for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, told USA TODAY Network the department can't comment on pending litigation.

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at [email protected]. X: @_finchwalker. Instagram: @finchwalker_.