A federal judge on Monday sentenced a Pittsburgh man to five years in prison and his wife to three years of probation for their involvement in the detonation of explosives that injured police officers at a 2023 transgender rights demonstration at the University of Pittsburgh.
The man, Brian DiPippa, 37, “lit and threw two makeshift smoke canisters into and around a line of people waiting to enter a building for a scheduled event with guest speakers,” the Justice Department said in a news release Monday. .
Then the wife of Mr. DiPippa, Krystal DiPippa, 42, “hid” him as he “lighted and threw a large explosive firework” at a group of university police officers who had gathered to form a barricade to prevent protesters from entering the back of the building. The fireworks caused a loud explosion and injured several police officers, the department said.
The pair had “conspired to injure law enforcement officers and cause chaos at a campus protest,” Eric G. said in the news release. Olsan, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
A campus police sergeant told the court that he fell when a device exploded as he tried to remove it, resulting in burns to his legs, hearing loss and back injuries that required surgery, the Associated Press reported.
“They attacked brave men and women who were trying to maintain order and protect bystanders,” said Mr. Olshan, adding that Monday’s sentence “should serve as a deterrent to anyone who would consider engaging in such outrageous and dangerous behavior in the future. .”
Michael J. DeRiso, attorney for Mr. DiPippa, said Tuesday that it was “unfortunate that the government chose to single out my client in one act.”
“Unfortunately, my client made a very poor decision in throwing a firework into a crowd,” he said, adding that Mr. DiPippa “definitely didn’t mean to hurt or maim.” Michael Ovens, a lawyer for Ms. DiPippa, declined to comment on the case.
The pair, who are from Pittsburgh, each pleaded guilty in September to one count of obstructing law enforcement during the civil unrest, according to the Justice Department, and Mr. DiPippa also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy.
At Monday’s sentencing in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, the pair were also ordered to pay $1,400 in restitution to the university as well as $47,284 to the injured police officer, the Justice Department said.
More than 150 people participated in the protest, which took place on April 18, 2023, outside a debate on transgender rights between Michael Knowles, host of The Daily Wire, a right-wing website, and Brad Polumbo, a libertarian journalist. in the O’Hara Student Center, the University Times, a university publication, reported.
Jared Stonesifer, a spokesman for the University of Pittsburgh, said in a statement Tuesday that it “supports the right to peaceful protest, but will not tolerate threats or acts of violence that endanger others.”
He added that the decision “cannot undo the physical and emotional injuries our officers have suffered.”
