Man accused of breaking Pittsburgh police officer's leg during bar brawl appears in court

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The man accused of breaking a Pittsburgh police officer's leg on the South Side was in court on Wednesday. Jonathan Morin, 23, allegedly hurt the officer during a brawl as people were leaving a bar.

According to Morin's attorney, Phil DiLucente, his client never intended to hurt Sergeant Andrew Robinson. He was simply trying to help his brother.

Morin was in court Wednesday for his preliminary hearing dealing with the brawl earlier this month. The hearing was continued.

The video shows the melee that happened outside of Oddballs on East Carson Street. DiLucente says these are serious charges, but they don't tell the whole story.

"Keep this in mind. It was a melee that day with all those people around," he said after the hearing.

He says Morin was not causing any issues at the bar and left when this unfolded. According to DiLucente, his client was trying to help his brother and never intended for Sgt. Robinson to get hurt. The sergeant is expected to miss 6-12 months as he recovers from surgery for his injuries.

"There was no intent on my client's part. He was just pulling somebody off. He thought he was helping his brother," DiLucente said.

With the publicity surrounding this case, DiLucente said it can make some parts challenging, but believes the truth will come out in court. He said Morin has no record and is no risk to the community.

"He's not a bad kid. He's a good kid. Sometimes we make judgmental errors when we think someone is hurting," DiLucente said.

Sgt. Robinson was not in the courtroom. He has questioned why Morin was able to get out of jail after the incident.

"We truly want Sgt. Robinson to recover. He is a good officer. He is a good man. There was no intent on my client's part to hurt him," DiLucente said.

The preliminary hearing has been rescheduled for Oct. 24.