Chief arraigned on two charges

The chief's attorney says the charges are 'false and frivolous.'
& lt;a href=mailto:yovich@vindy.com & gt;By TIM YOVICH & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Police Chief Anthony Ross has been ordered to stay away from a local businessman whom he's been accused of hitting with a city car -- twice.
Ross appeared Thursday before municipal Judge Michael A. Bernard on charges of assault, a misdemeanor, and intimidation, a felony.
Judge Bernard set a personal surety bond of $10,000.
As a condition of the bond, the 78-year-old chief is not permitted to have contact with Robert E. Suich, owner of Dairy Queen at 201 S. State St., or Suich's family.
Ross was scheduled to be arraigned next Tuesday, but the day was changed, officials said, because defense attorney J. Gerald Ingram would not be available. Ingram is a member of the defense team in the capital murder trial of Donna Roberts in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court that was in recess Thursday morning.
Ross declined to comment about the allegations.
Ingram called them "false and frivolous."
Ross pleaded innocent to the assault charge. No plea was required for the felony.
A preliminary hearing is set for 1 p.m. June 18.
What's behind charges
Court prosecutor Robert Johnson said Dave McGeary was a passenger in a car March 24 in Girard and saw his wife driving a car with their child in it.
Johnson said McGeary caught up with his wife in the Dairy Queen parking lot to tell her to slow down because of slippery streets.
Johnson said Ross pulled his unmarked car into the parking lot and asked McGeary what was going on.
McGeary didn't know Ross, who identified himself and drove off.
The chief later returned to the lot.
Suich, who was in his parking lot, wrote in an affidavit that he turned to go back into his business when the chief's car struck him from behind.
Johnson said that Suich was thrown partially onto the hood of the car.
Suich asserted that when he told the chief that he just can't move people with his car, the chief drove into Suich's knees.
"I'll get you. If not now, when I retire," Suich alleged Ross cautioned him.
"I know he's chief. The law applies to everyone," Johnson said, adding there are two witnesses who didn't know either Ross or Suich.
& lt;a href=mailto:yovich@vindy.com & gt;yovich@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;