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Cop breaks hand during chase arrest
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A man wanted for violating his probation, who was convicted of running over and killing a man raking leaves in his yard, was arrested late Thursday after police said he led them on a lengthy chase with a young child in his car.
Reports said officer Kenneth Garling broke his hand while helping to arrest Allen Lee, 42, of East Ravenwood Avenue, after he crashed into a guardrail in Mill Creek Park and fell out of his car and down a ravine.
Lee is charged with felony fleeing and eluding and endangering children, along with several other traffic charges, after he failed to pull over about 11:45 p.m. for officer Marcin Stachowicz, who reports said saw a car Lee was driving run a stop sign at Erie Street and East Ravenwood Avenue.
Reports said Lee led officers on a chase that traversed almost the entire South Side, at some points driving into oncoming traffic or driving left of center. He disregarded several stop signs and red lights, and at one point seemed to intentionally hit a car, which in turn smashed into a pole at West Warren and Glenwood avenues.
It was also at West Warren and Glenwood avenues where officer Michael Sobinovsky put down a pair of spike strips that punctured all four of the tires on the car Lee was driving, but Lee refused to stop and drove on his rims, which damaged some recently paved streets in the area, reports said.
Reports said Lee’s car hit a guardrail in Mill Creek Park. Lee then fell out the door and tumbled down a ravine, where officers caught him but he refused to allow himself to be handcuffed. As officers scuffled with him, Garling’s hand hit a tree, which is how he broke it.
It was not until Lee was in custody that police discovered a boy in the back seat who appeared dazed, reports said. The boy had a bruise on his head and was taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital to be examined. He was released there to a relative.
Lee was also taken to St. Elizabeth to be examined. He remained in the hospital Friday and is expected to be transferred to the Mahoning County jail pending arraignment in municipal court Tuesday.
Lee is wanted on a probation violation stemming from a no-contest plea to a second-degree misdemeanor count of vehicular homicide in the Oct. 29, 2013, death of Earl Douthitt, who was killed as he was raking leaves in his front yard.
A van Lee was driving left the roadway and struck Douthitt. Lee was sentenced to 20 days in jail with credit for 11 days served and also placed on probation.
Court records show a warrant was issued for his arrest in March 2015 for violating the terms of his probation, but records do not show what the violation is.