2 men face charges after altercation at Warren gas station

By Ed Runyan

Neither police officer was injured.

WARREN — Police have charged a Niles man with two counts of felonious assault for his role in a fight Sunday at the USA Gas Station on South Street that ended with his backing his car into an occupied city police car.

Timothy W. Clay, 36, of East Ford Street, pleaded innocent to the charges Monday in Warren Municipal Court and was released on $9,600 bond. He is set to return to court at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 25 before Judge Thomas Gysegem.

Clay is charged with two counts of felonious assault, said Tracey Timko Rose, assistant city law director, because there were two police officers in the cruiser.

Maurice E. Evans Jr., 27, of Southern Boulevard Northeast, the passenger in another vehicle involved in the conflict, is charged with a misdemeanor count of assault, accused of punching Clay inside the gas station.

Evans pleaded innocent and is scheduled to return to court at 1:30 p.m. next Tuesday before Judge Gysegem.

Police said Clay and another man were inside the gas station, at the corner of Pine Avenue and South Street, about 2:40 a.m., when a woman allegedly hit Clay in the head with a bottle, and Evans allegedly punched him.

Police arrived to see Clay driving his vehicle in pursuit of a vehicle containing Evans, ramming that vehicle from behind and heading east on South Street.

A Warren police car followed Clay’s vehicle to the intersection with Elm Road, where Clay slammed on the brakes and then backed his car into the cruiser.

Neither officer was hurt, but Clay and a passenger in his car both suffered cuts and were treated at Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital.

Timko Rose said the woman accused of hitting Clay with a bottle has not been located.

The driver of the car containing Evans pulled over to the side of the road while police were chasing Clay and later left the scene, police said.

The vehicle was spotted about two hours later on Laird Avenue, and Evans was charged with the assault after admitting he had punched Clay at the gas station, police said.

Evans said the driver of his car took two women from the gas station to the women’s northwest Warren apartment complex.

runyan@vindy.com