Firearms instructor surrenders permit

The sheriff has issued many concealed-carry permits to Mahoning County residents.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
LISBON -- A man who taught firearms classes to many people who now have permits to carry concealed weapons has surrendered his own concealed-carry permit after being charged with aggravated menacing.
Charles E. Councell, 52, of Sprucevale Road, East Liverpool, handed Sheriff Dave Smith his permit Monday at Smith's office at the Columbiana County Courthouse.
Councell also is a member of Smith's concealed-carry board that reviews active permits or applications for new ones. Councell resigned from that board Monday at Smith's request.
Smith said the charge, a first-degree misdemeanor, came out of St. Clair Township Police Department, the result of a dispute with a neighbor. Smith said he did not know specifics of the dispute that resulted in the charges.
Charges
The indictment states the man who filed the complaint believed Councell "would cause him serious physical harm."
Chief Donald Hyatt of St. Clair Township said Counsell has an ongoing property dispute with the neighbor who filed the complaint. He said the neighbor told police Counsell pulled out a loaded 9mm automatic handgun and put the barrel into his chest March 24.
Smith said Councell is licensed as a federal firearms instructor and has taught classes from Middle Beaver Fish and Game on state Route 7 near Elkton. Councell has been on Smith's concealed-carry board since its inception in 2004.
"I picked Charles in the beginning because he is federally licensed, knows weapons and is up to date on the laws," Smith said. "It is unfortunate this chain of events led to this. I had to pull his permit, and he knew it. He was well aware of what was going to happen, and he came right in."
Smith said he has final say in issuing concealed-carry permits, but calls the four-member panel to convene when he wants input about certain applications. Some people who apply, for example, may have a criminal record, but nothing about the conviction would prevent them from obtaining a permit.
"I have approved some permits for people, and I had serious reservations, but by law I couldn't deny the permits," Smith said. The sheriff has issued about 1,300 concealed-carry permits to residents since April 2004, many from Mahoning County, he said.
Councell is among those secretly indicted by a Columbiana County grand jury who will be arraigned at 10 a.m. June 15 before Judge C. Ashley Pike of common pleas court. Councell's indictment was one of five secret indictments made public Monday.
Also made public were secret indictments for Justin Martin, 23 of East Fifth Street, Salem, possession of drugs; Andrea N. Parson, 40 of First Avenue, East Liverpool, trafficking in drugs; Jean M. Pastore, 52 of 18th Street Heights, Wellsville, failure to stop after an accident; and Lacie J. Woods, 20 of Pinewood Drive, New Waterford, unauthorized use of telecommunications property or services.