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Woman’s charge reduced from rioting to misconduct
YOUNGSTOWN
One of six women initially facing felony charges after the beating of a Youngstown police officer on the South Side has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Brittany Littlejohn, 24, of Eastway Drive, appeared Tuesday before Judge John M. Durkin for a pretrial hearing where the plea agreement with prosecutors was reached.
Littlejohn had been charged with felony rioting, but under the plea agreement that charge has been amended to misdemeanor misconduct at an emergency. She could be sentenced to 90 days in jail on the amended charge.
Prosecutors are waiting to see the pre-sentence investigation on Littlejohn before making a sentencing recommendation for her.
The charges against Littlejohn stem from an altercation between two carloads of women in March 2011. Youngstown Police Officer Bridget Quinn responded to the call for a disturbance and was injured breaking up the fight.
Quinn said she arrived at the location to find several women standing outside of two cars engaged in a verbal altercation. She said she tried to separate the women, but one woman tried to attack one of the other women, leading to a melee.
Multiple women at the scene began to fight with the officer. Quinn suffered a back injury and was off work for a period of time.
Nicholas Brevetta, an assistant county prosecutor, said the plea agreement was reached because it was the ultimate goal to get the primary aggressor in the melee off the streets for a period of ti me. The primary aggressor was determined to be Brittany Littlejohn’s sister, Briyanna Littlejohn. She was sentenced to one year in prison in February.
Brevetta said Quinn has been involved in the negotiations and was concerned that the primary aggressor be punished.
“It is very unfortunate that this took place, but Officer Quinn has been very reasonable and we have been able to resolve this in a way most just,” said Brevetta.
Brittany Littlejohn will be sentenced at a later date.
Two other women also arrested in the melee, Ronisha Harris and Alicia Davis, have future court dates.