Pittsburgh police raid, clear out Downtown homeless encampment

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh police cleared out a downtown homeless encampment on Wednesday.

Two dozen officers moved in around 6:30 p.m. and quickly moved out everyone staying at the corner of Grant Street and Fort Pitt Boulevard.

The raid resulted in the arrest of some of those who lived here, while members of the city's ROOTS street intervention team directed others to temporary shelter.

Officers on the scene handcuffed several residents while they went through several tents and confiscated and inventoried what appeared to be drugs and other materials. Some residents who lived here have either been taken to jail or directed to leave.

Police on the scene had no comment, and officials at the police bureau would only say violence prevention detectives were serving a warrant.

Sources tell KDKA-TV that the action was the result of an ongoing investigation into drug sales by some of those living at the encampment.

The police action resulted in the decommissioning of this encampment, which is ordinarily decided by a committee and done through another process, posting the encampment and giving the residents a date to vacate.

Activity seemed to necessitate quicker action.

The encampment, which has been here for the better part of the last two years, has now been deserted.

Leftover debris will be removed by the Department of Public Works.