POLAND TOWNSHIP Gunshot shakes up directory deliverer

The shot was apparently fired by someone in a house.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
POLAND -- A 30-year-old Youngstown man was shot at while delivering phone books on Bedford Road.
Township police are investigating the shooting, which occurred in the 1700 block late Wednesday evening.
Police reports say a single shot was fired at the man; no one was injured.
The man told police he was trying to deliver a phone book to 1702 Bedford Road at 10:30 p.m. The man said he placed the book near a front door of the residence and began to walk back to his car when the door opened and someone fired a shot.
Reports say the deliveryman, who was with another man, jumped back into the car and called police from a cellular phone.
Neighbor watches
A neighbor looking out a window with binoculars said she watched a car with a loud muffler drive slowly up the street and place something in her mailbox. The woman, reports say, told police the car returned a short time later and pulled into the driveway of 1702 Bedford. Reports say the woman told police the car was in the driveway about five minutes when she heard a "pop" sounding like a gunshot and called 911.
"It is reasonable to conclude at this time that a single shot was fired by an unknown person at the victim. Fortunately no one was injured and officers are investigating," said Police Chief Carl Massullo. "It does not appear this incident is related in any way to the incident on Struthers Road."
Barrage of bullets
Massullo was referring to a home on Struthers Road that was shot at more than 30 times March 3. A family was in the home at the time, but no one was injured. Massullo said police are still investigating that shooting.
According to Massullo, officers have not found any bullet casings or other physical evidence in the Bedford Road shooting. He said officers have been trying unsuccessfully to find the residents of that home.
Police, however, did arrest the man helping to deliver the phone books, Robert Joseph Burch, 31, of Jacobs Road, Youngstown. Reports say Burch had outstanding warrants out of Canal Fulton Police Department for failure to appear in court.
jgoodwin@vindy.com