Man is sentenced for assaulting cop

‘If you fight the law, the law is going to win,’ the judge said.

YOUNGSTOWN — A Campbell man was sentenced to a year in prison for assaulting a Struthers police officer last year.

Richard N. Jenkins, 19, of Blackburn Street, drew the sentence Tuesday from Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Jenkins was charged with assaulting Officer D.J. Aldish on May 9, 2007. The judge made the assault sentence concurrent with a one-year sentence for receiving stolen property. Jenkins had pleaded guilty to both charges.

“If you fight the law, the law is going to win, and you’re going down,” Judge Krichbaum told Jenkins, who apologized for his actions.

The car Jenkins was driving bottomed out at the Bridge Street railroad grade crossing in Struthers, which was under repair.

Officer Aldish arrived at the grade crossing and drove Jenkins in his cruiser to a Struthers residence where Jenkins said his pregnant girlfriend was in labor, said J. Michael Thompson, assistant county prosecutor.

The receiving stolen property charge pertains to the car Jenkins was driving, Thompson said.

At that residence, a struggle ensued between Jenkins and the officer when Jenkins tried to flee, said Thompson, who recommended the one-year prison terms to be served concurrently. The police report said Jenkins grabbed the front of the officer’s gun holster during the struggle.

After the May incident in Struthers, Jenkins was arrested on a marijuana possession charge in New Orleans, where he had gone in violation of a condition of his bond in this case, which barred him from leaving Ohio without court permission.

Jenkins went to New Orleans to be with his ailing mother, who had moved there, said Gary VanBrocklin, Jenkins’ defense lawyer.

Aldish was not present in court for the sentencing.