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Trooper arrested at Browns game
YOUNGSTOWN
A trooper with the Ohio State Highway Patrol may face criminal charges after he was arrested in Cleveland while attending the Browns-Steelers football game over the weekend.
Cleveland police confirmed that Trooper Jason R. Fantone, 34, was arrested Sunday on a misdemeanor vandalism charge. A representative of Cleveland Municipal Court said Fantone did not have charges filed in the official court computers as of Monday and had not made an initial court appearance.
Fantone joined the patrol in May 2004. He lives in Austintown with his wife and their daughter. He is stationed with the patrol’s Canfield Post.
Lt. Chris Heverly with the Canfield Post said he could not offer any information because the office had not been made fully aware of the circumstances behind the arrest. Heverly said information would be coming from the patrol’s public- relations unit.
Sgt. Doug Debord of the public-relations unit said the patrol is waiting for more information. He said nothing can be ascertained about Fantone’s job status until after details about the arrest in Cleveland are released.
“At this point, all we can confirm is that he has been arrested. I have not been officially notified, so I can’t even confirm what the charges are,” Debord.
Fantone is scheduled off work until Wednesday night.
Debord said, generally speaking, a misdemeanor conviction can affect the trooper’s job status. He said the patrol normally would conduct its own investigation after any criminal proceedings have concluded to determine what, if anything, should be done.
In 2008, Fantone had been selected as trooper of the year at the Canfield Post. He was selected by supervisors and fellow troopers based on outstanding service, leadership abilities, ethics, courteous treatment of others, enthusiastic work attitude and cooperation with supervisors, peers and the public.