Manager charged in brutal attack on Downtown Pittsburgh Jimmy John’s employee

PITTSBURGH — A third man has now been charged in the brutal attack of a Jimmy John’s employee in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Police just charged Melvin Robinson as the third man involved in the attack. Robison was the shift manager the night of the altercation and had worked with the victim for more than a year.

“How could you do that to one of your good friends,” Katharine Morrissey, the victim’s wife, said.

Morrissey says she is still in shock.

She told us she was there the night of Dec. 16 when her husband was attacked. She says she walked into the Penn Avenue Jimmy John’s location just after closing to wait for her husband, Stephen, to get off from his shift but when she entered the restaurant, she says she saw him lying on the floor bloody, beaten and unconscious.

But says she never suspected Melvin Robinson was involved.

“I told the police when they had Melvin in handcuffs I told the police, ‘no it wasn’t Melvin because I didn’t see Melvin.’ I didn’t think that he would do that, that he wasn’t that kind of person,” Morrissey said.

According to court documents, Tyree Blue Murphy tried to pet the victim’s service dog. The victim told him no several times, but Murphy continued. That’s when, according to Murphy, the victim grabbed him by his hair. From there, Murphy returned with several blows.

Another man, Damon Robinson, then said he tried to break up the fight but, after being struck, joined in on the beating, hitting Stephen with a bike tire.

Stephen’s face was left black and blue, and he had severe head trauma.

Morrissey told Channel 11 she couldn’t believe her husband was nearly beaten to death over his service dog.

“Be more public knowledge that when a person has a service animal you don’t go up and touch it…it should just be a general knowledge thing,” Morrissey said.

On Thursday, Murphy and Damon Robinson both waived their preliminary hearings.

Melvin Robinson will stand in front of a judge in February.

Morrissey says she is still in disbelief.

“From what we knew we were friends,” Morrissey said.

All three men are currently in jail.

As for the victim, he and his wife have a GoFundMe to help cover medical costs.

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