Man charged with assault on police dog

February 28, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

Kelly

By John W. GOODWIN JR.

YOUNGSTOWN

What started out as a routine traffic stop along Interstate 680 ended with a man being charged with assault on a police dog, and drug abuse and missing one pant leg.

Robert Kelly Jr., 28, of Mistletoe Avenue, is charged with felony possession of drugs, improper handling of a firearm and obstructing official business. He also faces misdemeanor charges of assault on a police dog and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kelly appeared Monday before Magistrate Anthony Sertick of Youngstown Municipal Court for arraignment. The magistrate ordered Kelly placed in Mahoning County jail on a total bond of $80,000.

According to police reports, Officer Michael Anderson and his canine partner, Ninja, were doing routine patrol at 2:30 a.m. Monday near the Mahoning Avenue ramp to Interstate 680 when a Chevrolet Malibu was spotted speeding on the freeway and driving outside the marked lanes.

Anderson conducted a traffic stop on the car just past the Market Street exit. Inside the car was Kelly, the driver, who police describe as acting nervous, and one passenger.

The traffic stop was uneventful until Anderson asked Kelly to step out of the car so that Ninja could sniff the car. Kelly, reportedly, refused to submit to a pat-down and when Anderson attempted to place handcuffs on Kelly, he began to fight.

Anderson reported that Kelly shoved him into the drive lane on the interstate and then began running. The officer said Kelly was holding what he believed to be a gun in his right hand.

Anderson released Ninja from the back seat of the police cruiser. Ninja caught up to Kelly as he ran and leaped on the man, knocking the object from his hand and knocking Kelly to the ground.

Anderson reports that Ninja and Kelly both hurried to their feet and the dog attempted to leap at Kelly again, but Kelly hit the dog with a right hook. Kelly and Ninja fell to the ground with Ninja wrapped between Kelly’s legs and Kelly repeatedly punching the dog.

Anderson separated Kelly and the dog, but Kelly reportedly made a movement and Ninja grabbed hold of his pant leg, tearing it from Kelly’s trousers.

The object that flew out of Kelly’s hand in the scuffle with Ninja was found to be a cellphone, but Anderson and several other officers responding to the scene found a loaded handgun under the front passenger seat of the car and a duffel bag in the backseat filled with suspected heroin.

Kelly was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center for treatment of injuries sustained in the scuffle.

He has a preliminary hearing March 5 in Youngstown Municipal Court.