Lowellville police probe melee at the Mount Carmel Society bar

Staff report

LOWELLVILLE

Village police still are investigating a Feb. 15 fight that began as a verbal argument inside the Mount Carmel Society bar, then quickly escalated in the 102 Washington St. parking lot.

The melee resulted in a broken jaw, facial lacerations and a host of misdemeanor and felony charges for those involved.

Answering to those charges in Struthers Municipal Court this week were 22-year-old James Perry of Badal Drive in Lowellville, 22-year-old Ryan Whinery of New Castle Road in Lowellville and 29-year-old Adam Kimmell of Veterans Road in Mercer, Pa.

Perry is charged with two fourth-degree-felony counts of assaulting a police officer, along with the following misdemeanors: disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and two counts of assault.

Whinery is charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer, as well as two fifth-degree-felony counts of obstructing official business. He is charged, too, with disorderly conduct and two counts of resisting arrest — all of which are misdemeanors.

Kimmell is charged with disorderly conduct and two counts of assault.

Both Perry and Whinery are set to reappear in Struthers Municipal Court at 9:45 a.m. April 25, while Kimmell’s court date is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. March 21.

Lowellville Police Chief Ryan Bonacci said another five people involved in the incident were summoned to appear in Lowellville Mayor’s Court on Wednesday to answer to a minor-misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge.

He added that the village’s police department — which was assisted during the incident by officers from New Middletown, Poland Township, Coitsville and Struthers — should be finished with its investigation by the middle of next week.

“We’re still in the process of investigating, and we’re hoping somebody comes forward with the truth,” Bonacci said.