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Council seeks nonrenewal of permits
YOUNGSTOWN
City council members are asking the state to not renew the liquor licenses of five stores and an East Midlothian Boulevard bar, where a fight inside led to a police officer’s shooting an 18-year-old who tried to run over him outside.
Council passed resolutions Wednesday objecting to the renewal of liquor permits to the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor Control Commission. A hearing for each objection will take place in Mahoning County early next year.
The decision on opposing liquor-license renewals for businesses is based on problems there and the inability of the owners to do enough to stop those issues, such as criminal activity, said Councilmen Paul Drennen, D-5th, and DeMaine Kitchen, D-2nd.
“It gets to the point where you have to take stand; enough’s enough,” Drennen said.
Council members take into account complaints from residents when choosing which businesses should have their liquor permits revoked, Kitchen said.
“You’re objecting for a reason,” he said.
In the past, most requests haven’t been honored by the state, city officials said, but it doesn’t stop them from trying.
The only bar on the list is Pal Joey’s on East Midlothian Boulevard.
In the early morning of Aug. 21, Youngstown police Patrolman Phil Chance Jr. was among officers called to break up a fight and disperse a large crowd at the bar.
When some of the crowd was in the parking lot, Chance told Cory Timmings, 18, of Austintown, to lower his car radio. Rather than do so, Timmings drove his car toward Chance, hitting the officer and forcing Chance up on the car hood, according to a police report.
Timmings refused to stop, dragging Chance, who pulled his gun and shot Timmings in the upper back, the report states.
An internal police investigation cleared Chance of any wrongdoing, but FBI agents in November took files about the shooting and investigation.
Timmings was convicted Dec. 1 of obstructing official business and driving under the influence of alcohol and sentenced to 120 days in the Mahoning County jail.
The five stores on council’s list to not have the state renew liquor licenses are:
One Stop Food Mart on Wick Avenue.
Tiny’s Beverage Store in North Garland Avenue.
Brothers Food on Belmont Avenue.
Gina’s Food Market on Glenwood Avenue.
Sam’s Super Saver #4 on Powersway Avenue.