MAHONING COUNTY Man charged with assault after police cars are rammed

Police said they recovered marijuana and crack from the streets.
YOUNGSTOWN -- A Columbus man was arrested on drug and felonious assault charges after, police said, he rammed and damaged two undercover police cars, which had boxed him in Friday night at South and Lucius avenues on the city's South Side.
Police said the man, Michael Wilkins, 34, of Chatford Court, Columbus, then fled and tossed drugs from the car he was driving before being captured at Rush Boulevard and Indianola Avenue.
Wilkins was charged with three counts of felonious assault, one each for Sgt. Bob Magnuson, Officer Robert Patton and Officer Steve Woodbury, who occupied the undercover police cars. Magnuson is commander of the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force, with which Patton and Woodbury were working.
What happened
Magnuson, who occupied a car with Woodbury, turned on his flashing police light behind Wilkins about 7:40 p.m. Friday in an attempt to arrest him on drug charges, police said. Magnuson and Woodbury were wearing police jackets and badges as they emerged from the car they occupied when they initially boxed in Wilkins.
Wilkins backed up into the police car that had been occupied by Magnuson and Woodbury, then went forward, hitting the other police car with Patton inside, police said.
He was arrested at Rush Boulevard and Indianola Avenue, and police said they recovered marijuana and crack cocaine from the streets over which the pursuit occurred.
Wilkins was also charged with trafficking in crack cocaine, tampering with evidence, felony fleeing, driving under license suspension, and drug abuse (marijuana).
Wilkins was taken to Mahoning County jail. Police said they had made a previous crack cocaine purchase from Wilkins.