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Three arrested for obstruction in two separate incidents
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Joseph Boyd of Youngstown was arraigned Friday in municipal court on charges he would not get out of his car when ordered by police.
David Liller of Youngstown was arraigned because he tried to get into a car after police told him to stay back while he was getting a parking ticket.
Also arrested with Liller, 19, was Jonathan Gabrelcik, 19, of Pointview Avenue. All three were arraigned on obstruction-of-official-business and other charges.
According to police, Liller and Gabrelcik were arrested about 12:50 p.m. Thursday after an officer on patrol spotted a car parked against traffic in front of a South Side home in the 2000 block of Pointview. When the officer stopped to write a ticket, reports said Liller ran from a nearby home and said he was going to move his vehicle. Reports said the officer told him he could move the vehicle after he was finished writing the ticket.
Reports said Liller then opened the driver’s door despite the officer telling him not to because the officer did not know what was inside the vehicle. Liller then pushed the officer, the officer pushed him back to try to keep him away from the door and told Liller he was under arrest, reports said. Reports said Liller refused to stand still and walked backward. The officer had to grab Liller and place him against the trunk. Liller got a bloody nose, reports said.
Several family members of Liller’s then came out of the house Liller ran out of and walked toward the officer, who radioed for backup.
As he was waiting for help, Gabrelcik drove up and also parked against traffic and told the officer, “You made my boy bleed, now I’m going to whoop your a--,” reports said.
Reports said Gabrelcik continued to threaten the officer and refused to stand still to be arrested. When the other officers arrived, he ran into the home. After the crowd was brought under control, police went to the home and ordered Gabrelcik out so he could be arrested. He obeyed, but as police were trying to get his information, he threatened officers again, reports said.
At his arraignment, Gabrelcik said he never threatened to beat up the officer, just that he told the officer to take his badge off. Magistrate Anthony Sertick said that sounded like a threat to him.
“What do you think I interpreted that to be?” Sertick asked. “You wanted to fight the guy.”
Besides the parking tickets, Gabrelcik faces charges of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and two counts of menacing. Liller is charged with assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. Bond for Gabrelcik was set at $4,000 and $7,500 for Liller.
Boyd, 27, was arrested about 5:35 p.m. Thursday at Hillman Street and Boston Avenue on the South Side. Reports said he was spotted running a stop sign and before the officers could get his car pulled over, he ran another stop sign.
Boyd would open his window to speak to the officers only a few inches, and he refused several requests for his driver’s license and registration before he picked up a phone and appeared to be recording the officers, reports said.
When he was told he would be arrested for obstruction if he did not supply the documents, he slid them through the window, reports said. An officer on the other side of the car saw a marijuana grinder near the center console, and Boyd was asked to get out of the car so a probable-cause search could be done. Boyd refused.
According to police, the officers told Boyd they would open the car and take him out, but he locked both doors and refused to open them, reports said. Reports said Boyd told the officers he did not have to get out of the car, and they told him he was under arrest.
One of the officers used a baton to break the glass in the door, and officers reached in, unlocked it and took Boyd out. He is charged with obstruction of justice and possession of drug paraphernalia, and police took him to the Mahoning County jail.
Boyd pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. His bond was set at $3,500.