Local

Man charged with obstructing official business, resisting arrest and drug paraphernalia in Boardman

By Brandon Vogrin
Boardman Police
Boardman Police Kelcey Norris Mahoning Matters

Boardman police were called to the area of Market St and Boardman-Canfield Road at 10:20 a.m. Monday in response to a man angrily making hand gestures as if shooting a gun at passing cars.

The police report states that upon arrival, police found the man at the intersection of Claybourne Avenue and Boardman-Canfield Road. The officer asked the man if he needed help but reported that he was not making sense when he answered.

The man could not answer simple questions from the officer, such as what day and year it was or his own birth year. According to the report, after several minutes of talking to him, the officer was able to positively identify the man and called for an ambulance out of concern for his mental and physical health after observing blood on his right wrist.

The report then states that as the ambulance was arriving, the man pulled a glass meth pipe out of his jacket pocket in an attempt to discard the contraband. The officer grabbed his arm, causing him to drop the pipe, and placed him in handcuffs.

At this point, the report states that the man began to resist and became more and more violent as multiple officers attempted to subdue him. He held on to the officers’ arms, attempting to pull them to the ground. They were finally able to physically force the man on to the stretcher and hold him down, as he resisted more and becoming more violent and threatening in nature.

Police followed the ambulance to Mercy Health Hospital in Boardman, where he continued to resist violently, kicking officers and hospital staff trying to give him a sedative. The report states that he received a laceration to his mouth during the struggle and had to be given a spit mask.

According to the report, the man was admitted to the hospital with a police hold. He was released at 10:15 p.m. Monday night to police custody and transported to Mahoning County Jail on charges of obstructing official business, resisting arrest, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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This story was originally published April 9, 2024 at 4:56 PM.