GIRARD Police chief found guilty; mayor plans no discipline

Chief Ross says he'll watch where he's driving.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Mayor James J. Melfi has no plans to discipline his police chief, who has been found guilty of a traffic charge.
Chief Anthony Ross pleaded no contest and was found guilty Thursday in municipal court of operating a motor vehicle without giving full time and attention. Ross was fined $100 and costs. The charge was reduced from misdemeanor assault.
On June 25, Visiting Judge Perry G. Dickinson, a retired Portage County Municipal Court judge, dismissed a felony intimidation charge filed against Ross because of lack of evidence.
Melfi said Thursday that since the felony charge was dismissed, he wouldn't discipline Ross.
Melfi and Ross have been at political odds because of the reduction of manpower in the police department.
When the 78-year-old Ross, who has been convicted of drunken driving, was asked if he was going to stop driving, he responded, "No. I'm going to watch where I'm going."
Attending the hearing was Warren Police Chief John Mandopoulos, who said he was there "to support his old friend."
Under pressure
Mandopoulos is under public pressure himself to straighten out his department.
Karen Bryant, a member of Parents Against Police Abuse in Warren, and Tom Conley, a member of the Warren Coalition, are making plans for a silent march and a rally, saying that city's administration needs to know the public wants changes to be made in the police department leadership.
Judge Dickinson had ruled after a June 25 preliminary hearing on the intimidation charge that Robert E. Suich, owner of the South State Street Dairy Queen, was not intimidated Feb. 24 by Ross when they confronted each other in the store parking lot.
In his ruling, Judge Dickinson said Suich was not prevented from calling police to report the confrontation and Ross didn't inhibit his officers from taking a police report.
Suich contended Ross bumped into him twice with the unmarked city police car the chief was driving.
One witness testified Ross' car was coasting before it struck Suich and the witness and Ross were looking at each other -- not at Suich.
Court Prosecutor Robert Johnson said he agreed to the reduced charge against Ross because none of the witnesses saw the chief's car hit Suich twice, as the store owner had said.
Johnson said, though, there was no dispute that the car struck Suich.
"At least he got stuck with something," Suich said in reaction, adding he was hopeful that the administration would discipline Ross.
yovich@vindy.com