Pirates Usher Suspended After Whipping Fan with Belt at PNC Park Brawl

A chaotic scene unfolded at PNC Park on Sunday when a Pittsburgh Pirates usher was caught on video using his belt to whip a fan during a heated altercation. The incident, which followed the Pirates' game, began with a verbal dispute between two male fans and a female food and beverage employee. The usher intervened, but things quickly escalated.

The footage, originally shared on TikTok before being deleted and recirculated across social media, shows the usher and fan face-to-face, trading heated words. The situation turned physical when the usher threw punches, and after a brief pause, the fan spat at the usher, prompting him to remove his belt and strike the fan multiple times.

"The employee’s behavior was entirely unacceptable," said Brian Warecki, Pirates senior vice president of communications, in a statement to WTFNewsRoom. The usher has been suspended, and the incident is under investigation.

This altercation comes on the heels of another troubling incident at PNC Park, where 20-year-old former college football player Kavan Markwood fell over 20 feet from the right field wall during a game against the Chicago Cubs. A GoFundMe update reported progress in his recovery, offering a glimmer of hope amid the chaos.

The Pirates, struggling with a 12-25 record and last place in the NL Central, seem to be facing turmoil both on and off the field. As these incidents pile up, one can’t help but wonder if PNC Park is becoming more of a wrestling ring than a baseball stadium.