Routine stop leads to crash, altercation

The man spit blood into a police officer’s face.

STAFF REPORT

SHARON, Pa. — A traffic stop turned out to be anything but routine for city police over the weekend.

Police said after Kevin Johnson, 49, of Pennsylvania Avenue in Farrell, ran a stop sign at the intersection of New Castle and Malleable streets at 7 p.m. Sunday, he fled an attempt by an officer to pull him over.

That led to a wreck, which led to a struggle in the street as five officers tried to arrest the 6-feet-3-inch, 300-pound Johnson, said police Chief Michael Menster.

Now, Menster said, those five officers face tests because of exposure to Johnson’s blood.

“It’s a long process,” he said of the testing protocol for being exposed to blood or bodily fluids. “You have to go back for a schedule of tests over a year to a year and a half.”

Johnson even spat blood into one officer’s face, Menster said.

Another officer hurt his wrist and shoulder, and another suffered cuts and scrapes.

After the officer tried to stop Johnson for running the sign, he took off at high speed through the south side of Sharon, into Farrell and back into Sharon, Menster said.

Johnson ran stop signs and traffic lights all during the chase, Menster said. On Spruce Avenue, he almost collided head-on with a police officer who was coming to assist, and the officer had to drive onto the sidewalk, Menster said.

The fugitive fled onto Prindle Street, where he lost control of his car and smashed into a tree, Menster said.

He got out of his car and officers ordered him to the ground, but he refused to comply, Menster said.

As other officers arrived, they tried to take him into custody, he said. They used a stun gun and pepper spray, which had no effect, the chief said.

After a violent struggle in the middle of the street, officers finally handcuffed Johnson, he said. Meanwhile, a crowd of between 50 and 75 people had gathered and had started to get hostile.

“There were altercations in the crowd,” Menster said.

Police called an ambulance for Johnson, who was taken to Sharon Regional Health System’s hospital. He was uncooperative in the ambulance, so a police officer had to ride with him, Menster said.

At Sharon Regional, some of Johnson’s friends gathered and got disorderly, he said. Police were called to the hospital to send them away.

Johnson was transferred to St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, where he was reported to be in stable condition late Monday.

Menster said police found suspected crack and powder cocaine in Johnson’s car, along with a digital scale that had what they suspect is cocaine residue on it.

Sharon police have a warrant for Johnson that charges two counts of aggravated assault, one for spitting in the officer’s face and one linked to the near-wreck on Spruce, Menster said.

Police also charged him with fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest, eight traffic violations, possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.