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Man punches cop, stun gun is used
By Joe Gorman
youngstown
Police struggled to arrest a man behind a South Side garage early Monday evening who apologized afterward for resisting, saying he is addicted to opiates.
Derek Viglio, 27, is in the Mahoning County jail on charges of endangering children, possession of drug paraphernalia, assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and failure to comply after police tried to pull over an SUV he was driving about 7:40 p.m.
An officer on patrol saw the SUV Viglio was driving on East Dewey Avenue as it crossed the center line, then made a turn without signalling, reports said.
The officer tried to pull the SUV over, but the driver was driving at speeds exceeding 50 miles per hour down residential streets while making several illegal turns, reports said.
The officer continued following the SUV to a 950 Pasadena Ave. home, where Viglio jumped out and ran away as the SUV coasted with no one at the wheel, reports said. Inside the SUV were Viglio’s wife and 3-year-old child, reports said.
The officer chased Viglio on foot behind the garage and Viglio punched the officer.
The officer could not grab him because he was covered in sweat and slippery, reports said.
Another officer arrived and tackled Viglio, but he continued to flail his arms and legs. He was hit by a stun gun but he continued to fight, reports said.
During the struggle, one officer lost his watch in a wooded area and never could find it, reports said.
Eventually, Viglio was handcuffed and another officer talked to his wife in front of a nearby home. She told them her husband did not want to pull over because he thought there was a warrant for him.
Court records show that he did have a probation violation issued in March of this year from Mahoning Couny Area Court in Boardman.
Viglio apologized to officers afterward and said he is addicted to opiates.
Inside the SUV, police found a burnt spoon with possible heroin residue and a needle in one of Viglio’s pockets.
Court records also show Viglio has a court record dating back to 2003, when he was arrested on a misdemeanor drug paraphernalia charge in Boardman court. Since then, he has DUI charges in 2003, twice in 2005 and once in 2012, a domestic-violence case in 2004, an underage possession of alcohol and public intoxication in 2005, and a felony breaking and entering in 2009.
He is expected to be arraigned in municipal court today.