Charges filed against friend of fan who fell at PNC Park

A friend of the fan who fell from the stands at PNC Park during a game last month is facing charges for allegedly buying the underage fan alcohol.

Ethan Kirkwood, 21, is facing two misdemeanor counts of furnishing alcohol to someone under the age of 21 stemming from his actions at the April 30 Pittsburgh Pirates game, according to Megan Guza of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Kirkwood reportedly admitted to investigators that he purchased two beers for 20-year-old Kavan Markwood before Markwood fell from the seats at PNC Park.

Security footage from PNC Park showed Kirkwood purchasing two beers on two separate occasions during the game, once before first pitch and a second time roughly an hour later.

Markwood fell from the stands roughly 50 minutes after the second purchase, just as Kirkwood was returning with two more beers.

Kirkwood faces a preliminary hearing on June 23. He previously faced charges of purchase of alcohol by a minor and public drunkenness by Indiana University of Pennsylvania police in October 2022.

Markwood, a former college football player, became a national story when he fell 21 feet from the stands during an April 30 game against the Chicago Cubs. He suffered a broken neck and back, among other injuries, but has begun taking steps toward a recovery.