Woman Injured In Heinz Field Tirade Out Of Hospital, Consulting With Attorney
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Melissa Yancec is now out of the hospital, recovering from what she says was diagnosed as a concussion after getting pushed and hit in the head at Sunday's Steelers game at Heinz Field.
"I had no idea what happened to me. I woke up in the hospital with no answers," Yancec said.
But the police criminal complaint tells it all.
According to police, Stephan Sapp was spotted at Heinz Field, yelling and causing a scene. When police confronted him, he yelled expletives and began kicking.
That's when a steel barrier was knocked over, hitting Yancec in the head, knocking her unconscious.
"I could cry. I mean, who does this? I could be dead? Explain that to my 2-year-old daughter, when I'm not around anymore," said Yancec.
Yancec says her biggest frustration is that she never heard directly from police what happened to her. One minute she is at Heinz Field, the next she wakes up in the hospital.
As for Sapp, after telling police he was an IRS agent, he was taken into police custody, transferred to the Allegheny County Jail and charged with bribery, defiant trespass, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.
"She actually asked if this was protocol. And they just beat around the bush," said Michael Strack, Yancec's fiancé.
"I'm still curious why nobody told me what happened," Yancec added. "Why nobody told me what went on?"
A Pittsburgh Police spokesperson said normally the hospital will tell a patient the nuts and bolts about how they got there. And, especially when there's a head injury involved, police wait, giving the patient time to recover before they make contact.
They also said, when the victim may have to testify, it's also more effective if police don't provide details about the case to the victim ahead of time.
Yancec said she's consulting with an attorney to figure out her next move.
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Police: Man Arrested For Kicking Heinz Field Barriers, Trying To Bribe Officers (11/3/14)
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