An Ethiopian immigrant accused of threatening people and fighting with police at the Greyhound bus station, Downtown, in February pleaded not guilty Monday at a formal arraignment.
Getu Tewolde, 35, pleaded not guilty to charges of making terroristic threats, aggravated assault and disorderly conduct. A charge of risking a catastrophe was dropped.
During the arraignment, about 15 members of the Free Getu Coalition rallied outside City Court on First Avenue, said Saleh Waziruddin, co-organizer of the coalition.
Tewolde was traveling by bus from Washington, D.C., to Denver on Feb. 1 to visit his uncle when he was involved in an altercation with a Greyhound manager. Pittsburgh police accused him of saying, "People are going to die," when he reboarded his bus following a stopover here.
At the terminal, a Greyhound manager confronted Tewolde, who became violent, police said. Tewolde also struggled with police and pulled a small pocket knife, according to police. An officer, Brian Sellers, punched Tewolde in the face to disarm and subdue him. FBI agents questioned Tewolde but didn't file charges.
