Attorney seeks BCI probe into stun-gun incident

The attorney says he will file a civil-rights violation case against the city of Warren.

By TIM YOVICH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

WARREN — The attorney for a Howland woman who was shocked with a stun gun is asking for an independent investigation of the case.

Atty. Mark Hanni said “excessive force to the extreme” was used on his client, Heidi Gill, 38, who was arrested Sept. 2 outside Up A Creek bar on East Market Street.

Gill, of Pinetrail Drive Northeast, Howland was jolted several times by the electronic device operated by city Patrol Officer Richard Kovach.

An internal investigation by city police is being done while Kovach remains on administrative leave.

Hanni, who said he was retained during the weekend to represent Gill both criminally and civilly, said Monday that he is asking for an independent investigation of the case by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

Gill has been charged with falsification, assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25 in municipal court.

Hanni said he wants the charges against his client dismissed.

Hanni said he also plans to file a civil-rights violation complaint against the city.

Police report

Kovach reported that he had pulled his cruiser into the restaurant parking lot Sept. 2.

A bouncer had told him there was a disturbance inside, and Kovach saw another bouncer escorting Gill out of the bar.

Gill then ran from Kovach toward the rear parking lot where she got into a vehicle that wasn’t hers and refused orders to get out. Kovach then shocked her with a stun gun.

She still refused to get out of the vehicle, and he jolted her again.

Kovach’s report said he made several other attempts to use the stun gun on Gill but it misfired.

Once inside the cruiser, his report said, she kicked at a rear window and tried to climb into the front seat, ignoring his commands to stop, the police report said.

“I deployed a second Taser cartridge into her and the violent turbulent action stopped immediately,” Kovach said in his report.

She was again stunned during an attempted transfer to the second car, she fell and was knocked unconscious. She was taken to a local hospital by ambulance.

yovich@vindy.com