Fight at gas station goes viral, leads to protest

Police said multiple people are now facing criminal charges and the videos led to a protest Saturday morning.

Police said they were called about 6:45 p.m. Friday to the gas station on Brighton Road for a report of a fight between the male gas station owners and two female customers.

During their investigation, police said an argument over spilled gas led to the fight. The women said a pump malfunctioned and demanded a refund. The owners refused, and that argument quickly turned physical.

One video recorded by a witness shows the men who own the gas station repeatedly hitting one of the women in the back of the head while another man grabs the other woman by her hair and drags her across the pavement, police said.

The gas station's security cameras inside the store show the women initiating the argument.

Police said investigators filed paperwork for assault charges against the gas station owners and employees with the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office.

One lane of McKnight Road was partially closed for a time as protesters moved to a second Exxon gas station allegedly owned by the same men facing charges. Traffic was forced into the middle lane due to the crowd.

Exxon Mobil is aware of the incident.

"ExxonMobil does not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment by any company representative," a spokesperson for Exxon Mobil said in an email to Channel 11. "ExxonMobil does not own or operate any retail fuels stations in the United States, but we are aware of the situation and take these matters very seriously. Exxon and Mobil stations are supplied by authorized independent branded wholesalers who either operate the stations directly or have a contractual relationship with an independent owner/operator."