Heidi Gill drops request for jury trial in Austintown

AUSTINTOWN— Heidi Gill of Howland Township, who has been in the police news several times in the past 13 months, was back in court in connection with the unprovoked attack on an Austintown woman.

Gill, 39, and her attorney Mark Hanni appeared in Mahoning County Area Court Monday evening for her final pre-trial hearing on the assault charges brought against her in July.

During the pre-trial hearing, Hanni retracted the demand for a jury trial, which was to take place Oct. 28. A new trial date will be set by the end of the week.

Around 3 a.m. on July 1, Gill entered Denny’s restaurant on Mahoning Avenue, and began slapping, punching a pulling out the hair of the 18-year-old victim, according to police reports.

Two of the victim’s friends, a bystander and a Denny’s employee said the attack was unprovoked, and when police arrived, Gill had a clump of the girl’s hair in her hand.

She was taken to the Mahoning County jail on charges of assault, disorderly conduct while intoxicated, and failure to desist.

Gill made national headlines in September 2007, after Warren police officer Richard Kovach stunned her with a Tazer outside Up A Creek Tavern, in Warren. She was handcuffed at the time and knocked unconscious after falling to the ground.

Kovach served a 60 day suspension due to his treatment of Gill.

In August, Gill filed a lawsuit against Kovach, Warren Police Chief John Mandopoulos and Safety Director William “Doug” Franklin, alleging they failed to provide adequate training and supervision to Kovach on the proper way to subdue citizens during arrests.

The suit seeks an unspecified amount of damages.