43
Seven of Sunday's ATV riders arraigned, released from jail
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Dash Cam Video
Video
The video comes from dash cam of a Warren police cruiser as the officer follows behind a group of the ATV riders on U.S. Route 422 in Warren.
All seven of the people taken to jail Sunday after being charged with driving their off-road vehicles on Trumbull County roads were released from the jail Monday or early Tuesday after their arraignments in Warren Municipal Court.
Five were charged with the same felony offense – failure to comply with the orders of a police officer. They are Louis P. Christian III, 20, of Akron; Kyle Lee, 24, of Columbus; Virgil Williams, 21, of Akron; Shantel Lawler, 25, of Akron; and Lawrence D. Hemphill, 29, of Cleveland. Not-guilty pleas were entered for them.
Antonio D. Gay, 26, of Cleveland, posted $10,000 bond Tuesday morning after being arraigned Monday on failure to comply with the orders of a police officer and receiving stolen property.
Tyrina M. Henderson, 24, of Cleveland, was released after being arraigned and posting bond on charges of felony drug possession and misdemeanor obstructing official business.
An eighth person, a boy, 17, of Warren, was charged with failure to comply with the orders of a police officer, and his case was handled by juvenile court.
Two riders from Michigan were cited into Girard Municipal Court by Liberty police, but they were not taken to the jail and will be arraigned later.
Warren Municipal Court issued warrants for the arrest of Trevor S. Hall, of Buena Vista Avenue in the city, on two counts of failure to comply with the orders of a police officer.
Lt. Jeff Cole of the Warren Police Department said Hall participated in the ride even though he was not arrested during the ride, and posted on social media that the ride would take place.
Police became aware of the ride, called a “bike life” ride by some, as a result of social media postings, Cole said, adding that Warren officers estimated that around 70 riders participated.
The riders were observed in Warren and numerous other locations in the county starting around 4 p.m. Officers followed the riders, who were on dirt bikes and four-wheelers that cannot legally be ridden on streets.
Pursuit speeds were about 30 miles per hour, and officers used lights and sirens and tried to warn motorists up ahead of the riders as they passed along U.S. Route 422 and other streets, Cole said.
The riders were doing “wheelies” and taking up all lanes of travel, including lanes coming the opposite direction, on Route 422, Cole said. No one was injured, but “somebody could have gotten killed with this foolish behavior,” Cole said.
All of the arrests and the seizure of 14 off-road vehicles, three sport utility vehicles and two trailers took place near the Trumbull Career and Technical Center, Cole said.