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Officer injured in scuffle with suspect
YOUNGSTOWN
A city police officer was injured in a scuffle with a wanted man on the East Side.
Officer Phillip Chance, 30, reported multiple scratches to his head, neck and face after the scuffle with Antonio Cleveland, 29, of Williamson Avenue, late Friday afternoon.
Reports say Chance also was covered in Cleveland’s blood after the scuffle because of a cut Cleveland suffered in the skirmish.
Cleveland was arrested on warrants for domestic violence and breaking and entering out of Youngstown and also charged with assault on a police officer for the fight with Chance.
According to reports, officers were called to the 1300 block of Victor Avenue for a domestic dispute shortly after 4 p.m. Reports say officers were told to approach with caution because the suspect, later identified as Cleveland, has violent tendencies.
Officer Michael Quinn arrived at the call and reported that Cleveland appeared to be agitated and would not listen to officers’ commands, ultimately walking toward officers in an aggressive manner. He was ordered at gunpoint to place his hands behind his back and began to listen, but then began fighting with Quinn when the officer attempted to handcuff him.
Cleveland reportedly slipped away from Quinn and began running across McGuffey Avenue. Cleveland ultimately ran into Chance, who was setting up a perimeter to search for the fleeing man.
According to reports, Chance ordered Cleveland to stop running and used a stun gun on the man when he did not listen. Cleveland reportedly pulled the stun gun’s prongs from his chest and began to fight with Chance, punching the officer in the head.
Reports say Chance attempted to use the stun gun on Cleveland again but realized it was broken in the scuffle. Chance reported that he and Cleveland fell under a porch where punches were exchanged for about five minutes until Chance was able to hold Cleveland down and shout to a passing motorist to get other officers to help. Chance’s radio also had been knocked to the ground.
Both Cleveland and Chance were treated by paramedics at the scene of the arrest.
Chance was involved in the shooting of an 18-year-old man at a South Side bar in 2010.
According to police, Cory Timmings was shot in the parking lot of Pal Joey’s, a bar on East Midlothian Boulevard, at 2:36 a.m. Aug. 21. Chance was helping to break up a fight and disperse a large crowd at the bar when the shooting occurred.
Timmings ultimately was sentenced to probation for underage DUI and obstruction of official business. Police and the city prosecutor’s office investigations into the shooting cleared Chance of any wrongdoing.