43
Man flees cops, runs into door, gun falls out
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Reports said a man being chased on foot by police Sunday on the North Side had a gun fall out of his clothes after he smashed into the door of a 1704 Logan Ave. gas station.
The gun was one of two police found in separate incidents within an hour of each other in different parts of town.
On Logan Avenue on the North Side, Dominick Smith, 26, was arrested after he not only lost his gun, but also hid a “man purse” behind some food on a shelf that had 30 bags of suspected marijuana inside and 26 pills, reports said.
Smith was taken to the Mahoning County jail on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, being a felon in possession of a firearm, trafficking in drugs/marijuana, possession of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Reports said officer Anthony Trimble was on patrol on Hubbard Road about 4 p.m. and tried to pull over a car Smith was driving because he knew Smith is wanted on several warrants. Smith failed to pull over and instead pulled into the parking lot of the Logan Avenue Gas Mart, got out of the car and ran toward the store.
Reports said Smith ran into the door and as he did, a 9 mm handgun fell out of his clothes and onto the ground. Smith then ran into the store and banged into several shelves, reports said, while Trimble kept his foot on the gun that fell out of his clothes and looked at the store’s security mirrors to find out where Smith was.
Smith gave himself up and was taken into custody without incident, reports said. Reports said Trimble and other officers searched the store and found the suspected drugs, reports said. Reports said Smith admitted the drugs were his. Two other people in the car with Smith when he pulled into the parking lot ran away, reports said.
Smith was in the county jail until his arraignment Monday in municipal court.
About 3:05 p.m. Sunday, police arrested Nicholas Richardson, 24, of West Princeton Avenue. He faces charges of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and being a felon in possession of a firearm after police responded to a fight call on East Dewey Avenue on the South Side.
Reports said police found a .40-caliber handgun in a car that belonged to Richardson. Richardson admitted he was trying to lead police away from the car because he knew the gun was inside. Richardson also was arraigned Monday in municipal court.