Boardman cop shoots man who crashed into cruiser

Staff report

BOARDMAN

Township police are investigating an early- morning chase in which a suspect was shot by police.

At 12:21 a.m. Tuesday, police were called to the Shell Gas Station on Market Street at Shields Road on a report of an individual in the parking lot asking people for money. The same person had been suspected of theft from the store a few days earlier, according to police.

Before police arrived, the man, later identified as Robert Lee Swope, 30, left the gas station, traveling south on Market. Police saw his vehicle and stopped it in the lot of CVS Pharmacy on U.S. Route 224 at Market.

As the officer approached the vehicle, Swope reversed his vehicle, accelerated and crashed into the cruiser — nearly striking the officer, who jumped out of the way, police said

Swope then accelerated forward toward the officer again and the officer fired his weapon into the door of the car, according to police. Swope then fled from the CVS lot with officers following.

The vehicle finally was stopped at the Shell station at Lockwood Boulevard and Route 224. It had been reported stolen from Youngstown.

Swope suffered a gunshot wound to the lower leg and was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center, where officials would give no information on his condition.

Police are consulting with the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s office, and the incident remains under investigation.

Swope has an extensive criminal history in both Austintown and Boardman. He has been charged with assault, receiving stolen property, burglary, drug possession and criminal trespassing.

In 2007, Swope stole a vehicle from the driveway of an East Side home in Youngstown, according to Vindicator archives. Swope pleaded guilty to the crime and was given a sentence of one to two years for burglary and two to six months for receiving stolen property.