Pair arrested for involvement in Market Street fracas

YOUNGSTOWN — Police arrested a woman at about 7:45 p.m. Sunday on a charge of improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle after finding a loaded .22-caliber rifle in a car during a traffic stop.

Reports said officers pulled over the car at Belmont and Lincoln avenues for speeding and it also matched the description of a car that was involved at the scene of a fight on Market Street involving a rifle.

Reports said officers from St Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital and Youngstown State University helped a city police officer pull over the car. Reports said the driver of the car, Ovella Blackmon, 57, of Alameda Avenue, told officers a rifle was in the trunk and her grandchildren, who were passengers, "had nothing to do with it."

As police were questioning Blackmon another driver, Rodney Park, age and address not available, drove up and told officers he was at the previous fight on Willis Avenue and was "trying to keep the peace."

Park was arrested for aggravated menacing because he matched a description of a person at the fight who threatened people at the scene. He was also taken to the jail.