A Pennsylvania man faces charges for allegedly providing alcohol to an underage baseball fan who was critically hurt in a 20-foot fall at PNC Park in Pittsburgh last month.
The fan, 20-year-old Kavan Markwood, fell from the bleachers onto the field during the seventh inning of the Pirates-Cubs game on April 20, officials said. He reportedly drank two beers inside the stadium, according to a criminal complaint.
Ethan Kirkwood, 21, of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, now faces criminal charges for allegedly providing the alcohol, Pennsylvania State Police said Tuesday.
A fan lies on the warning track in right field of PNC Park after falling out of the stands during the seventh inning of a baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs in Pittsburgh, April 30, 2025.
Gene J. Puskar/AP, FILE
He has been charged with two counts of selling or furnishing alcohol to a minor, court records show. ABC News has reached out to Kirkwood for comment but has not received a response.
Police reviewed receipts and video footage from PNC Park that showed Kirkwood purchased two 24-ounce cans of Miller Lite shortly before 7 p.m. at the April 20 game, according to the complaint.
He is then seen on the video walking away from the bar area with Markwood and two women, with both men holding a can, according to the complaint.
Over an hour later, Kirkwood is seen walking to the bar area and then walking to the seated area of the ballpark holding two cans of alcohol, according to the complaint.
A fan is carted off the field at PNC Park after falling out of the stands during the seventh inning of a baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs in Pittsburgh, April 30, 2025.
Gene J. Puskar/AP, FILE
After Markwood fell from the bleachers, Kirkwood “is then seen handing a can to a female who throws it in the trash and jumping over a railing and then jumped on the field to help his friend,” the complaint states.
In interviews with police following the incident, Markwood’s girlfriend said the 20-year-old drank two beers inside the park, and Kirkwood allegedly admitted to purchasing the alcohol, according to the complaint.
A preliminary hearing in the case has been scheduled for June 23.
A fan is carted off the field after falling from the stands during the seventh inning of the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 30, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Joe Sargent/Getty Images
Markwood is slowly recovering and took his first steps since the fall earlier this month, according to his girlfriend’s mother.
“He still has a long way to go — he’s dealing with a broken neck, clavicle, and back so there are plenty of obstacles ahead,” his girlfriend’s mom, Jennifer Phillips, wrote on his GoFundMe page on May 6. “But he’s showing real strength, and we’re staying hopeful for a smooth recovery.”
The Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety said the “incident is being treated as accidental.”
Amy Thompson, who was sitting next to Markwood at the game, told Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE, “As he jumped out of his seat to celebrate, it appeared that he had his hands on the fence in front of us, which I had done several times during the game, as well. I think the momentum from him jumping up in his seat and the way he grabbed the rail just seemed like he catapulted himself over the railing.”
