South Side man gets 18 months in prison

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A man who reports said dropped a gun after he ran into the door of a Logan Avenue gas station in March while being chased by a city police officer was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in prison in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Judge John M. Durkin sentenced Dominic Smith, 26, of West Myrtle Avenue, after Smith pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking in drugs, carrying concealed weapons, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, being a felon in illegal possession of a firearm and obstructing official business.

The sentence was agreed upon by prosecutors and defense attorneys.

An officer tried to pull over a car Smith was driving March 5 because reports said the officer knew Smith does not have a driver’s license and that he was wanted on warrants.

Smith led the officer on a chase and pulled into a Logan Avenue gas station, and when he tried to run inside the station, he slammed into the door, dropping a loaded 9 mm handgun. As the officer went in the store to find him, Smith threw items off the shelves before he was caught.

In his car, police found 30 bags of marijuana packaged for sale, as well as 26 pills, reports said.