Grand jury indicts man in shooting of Atown cop

The Mahoning County Grand Jury has indicted a man accused in the shooting of an Austintown Police officer on charges of attempted aggravated murder and felonious assault.

Carlton Sims, 22, of Boardman was indicted today after a direct presentment of his case. The case, which was being processed in the lower county court in Austintown, is now in the county court of common pleas.

Sims is accused of shooting Austintown Patrolman Joe Wojciak, 53, the morning of May 8. Wojciak was sitting in his cruiser in the parking lot of the Kmart on Mahoning Avenue doing paperwork when Sims approached to ask directions, police have said.

He ended up pulling a .22 caliber hangun on the officer and shooting him in the chest, police have said. A bulletproof vest saved Wojciak from serious harm, and he and other officers arrested Sims a short time after the shooting.

Sims has been in the county jail on $1 million bond.