Crowd violence leads to arrest

An officer suffered a 5-inch gash in his leg when he was dragged over a bench.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Police had a tough time breaking up an unruly crowd and ended up arresting a man who kept trying to instigate fights, a police report says.
Terrance L. Chatman, 23, of Akron was arrested at Market Street and Indianola Road at 1:28 a.m. Tuesday, police said.
Police said a street crimes unit came upon a large crowd at the intersection, in front of the Red Room Bar. Several people were trying to fight.
Police told the crowd to break up but had to call for backup twice. After police still could not get the crowd to break up, officers used pepper spray.
They called for an ambulance to treat people hit with the spray, and it seemed as if the crowd was under control, the report shows.
But then officers saw a mob running toward the Rite Aid parking lot at 2701 Market St. When they got to the parking lot, officers found Chatman trying to start fights there, the report says.
Again the crowd wouldn't listen to orders to disperse. Police used pepper spray again, and the crowd moved on -- except for Chatman, the report states.
Chatman screamed obscenities and taunts, still trying to provoke fights, the report says.
How officer was hurt
Police said they tried to calm him down, and when that didn't work, they tried to arrest him. He resisted, and several of his friends grabbed officers' arms to interfere.
Officer Bret Gaitanis got a 5-inch cut on his leg when he was dragged over a bench. Two officers who were surrounded feared someone would grab their guns, and other officers tried to help them.
Chatman was finally brought under control with punches to his arm and pepper spray.
He was treated for the pepper spray by the ambulance and taken to the Mahoning County jail on charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and inciting to violence and riot. The jail reported he was still there Tuesday night.
Gaitanis was treated for his cut at the scene.